Memories Lost, Lingering Futures
by Envoy of the White Moon
Summary: Current story is scraped and will be revised into a new story. Details pendning.
1. Memories Return

Memories Lost, Lingering Futures

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><p><strong>I do not own the manga or anime Naruto. That is the property of Masashi Kishimoto. Also I do not own the quote at the beginning of the chapter. That is Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts. I also do not own the Guardian Spirits from Baten Kaitos (Not yet in story!). I do own Soren though, who won't appear until next chapter.<strong>

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><p><strong>The story will be deemed a romanceadventure/hurt/comfrot/spiritual due to the author's thoughts and ideas instilled into the story.**

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><p><strong><strong>Author's Rant Starts, NOW!<strong>**

**The pairing will be modeled after Naruto's parents. The rough and tumble (that's funny to say, rough and tumble, rough and tumble. Oops, sorry) Kushina Uzumaki and the calm and collected Minato Namikaze. Also Naruto will be somewhat like his canon form except that's not truely him. I will explain that in the next chapter people. Patience my young Padawan learner. **

**Also if there will be any memories (I do not call them flashbacks) about the Wave Mission, most likely Haku (Yuki, real last name by the way), Haku will be mentioned as a G-I-R-L! (*Give's the bird to Kishimoto*. That is really f*cked man. No guy looks that close to being a girl or sounding like one! Hell, not even Yumichika looks that girly! I bet if he saw Haku, he'd be trying to kill him for looking so beautiful.)**

**I will not use much of the Japanese short dialogue (i.e. kuso, teme, and dobe, mendukse (spelling It's supposed to be the word troublesome), sannin, the whole 'no' thing like Kyubi-no-Kitsune, I won't even make the Japanese named techniques. Heck I won't even use –sama or –san. But I will use the –chan and –kun honorific.) I will address the names, like Sannin for example, as the Legendary Three Ninja. I will also make them say "Lord Jiraiya" and "Lady Tsunade". (You know those three [Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru] come from a Japanese legend? And Jiraiya is actually called the Gallant Toad Sage Jiraiya in the legend.) I will use onee-chan, onii-chan though. **

**Also, please do not question the beliefs I instill in Naruto. I won't nag on you so don't say that he is too optimistic. Umm... Ignore this line for now, Naruto won't be appearing much in this chapter.**

**Also a minor change to one characters eye color; Tayuya will have hazel brown eyes with an emerald green in color. And don't look at the screen weird. I know a girl like that, whose eye color actually change every hour of the day. Such beautiful eyes, and such a beautiful (*cough, cough*) Moving on.**

**Also Tayuya is not going to be her real name. (*Gasp*) Evil Author Jutsu: Anticipated Foreshadowing!**

**The story will be taking place directly after Sasuke shoves his Chidori into Naurot's chest while getting a scratch on his forehead protector from Naruto's Rasengan (Sorry. That's in the nest chapter, not this one). And also Tayuya will not have died immediately from those trees when Temari used her Wind Sickle Scythe Justsu (The chapter will be focusing on Tayuya for now).**

**If that is not hinting enough for you about this story's main pairing, then you must be sharp as a marble. **

**The story will follow different viewpoints of characters, not just Naruto's. I'm doing this because it gets sort of confusing if a writer doesn't broaden his/her characters' depth. (*Cough*) Kishimoto (*Cough*) As such I will expand on characters like Tenten, Ayame, and several other female and male characters. Because I mean really, they are like glorified OC's. They have no major background development or such. (*Sigh*) But maybe Kishimoto did it like that so we upcoming writers could expand those characters. (*Shrugs*) Who knows?**

**Also, Zack Fair of Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core is one of the best heroes ever made by Japan. Listen to Why by Ayaka, it is so awesome. I cry whenever I listen to it and write romance. Also I do not own Why by Ayaka.**

**And yes I can tell my Author's Rant is all over the place! So don't judge me! Or else I will unleash Gir upon you via your computer and make him blow up in your face!**

**Sorry I just have Multiple Personalities due to insanity and they all wanted to say something to they're (my!) future readers.**

**Also if there are any artist from please could you draw some of these scenes or make a doujinshi (spelling?)? I would really appreciate it. I would draw, but ever since I began to write, all my skills diverted from drawing to writing. If you don't want to that's okay.**

**Ok! Enough of my ramblings like my teachers, on with the show!**

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><p><strong>Restored Memories and Lives Arc: Episode I<strong>

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><p><em><strong>A time long since past, a future almost gone, still lingering in the world's path. The memories of two children shall unravel the secrets of their past and the plots surrounding them. The Child of Revolution, the Genesis Child shall reclaim his lost past to begin anew. The Child of the Springmoon shall walk beside the child of revolution acting as aid for the child. The paths they shall open and close the memories they will discover will undoubtedly unravel the very illusion of the world itself.<strong>_

_**Because the one who should have died lived, and the one who forgot remembered, the paths to the futures are opening once more. A different fate shall await both children as the world steps forward; as men scheme, plots thicken and ambitions unfold. The Gears of Fate shall shift so dramatically that the very future that was once to be shall not, and the future once not to pass shall open up.**_

_**Follow the journey of the Child of Revolution and the Child of the Springmoon, Naruto Uzumaki and Hitomi Harusuki.**_

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><p><strong>Memories Return<strong>

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><p><em><strong>A far off memory that's like a scattered dream...<br>A scattered dream that's like a far off memory...  
>I want to align the pieces, you and I...<strong>_

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><p>Tayuya was not having a good day. Why would one ask if she were not having a good day? Well it started nearly a week ago when her boss, Lord Orochimaru, ordered her and her 'comrades' to retrieve his next vessel, Sasuke Uchiha.<p>

During that time she had too keep herself from breaking out into a run with that creepy smile on his face. It really unnerved her whenever the bastard would smile like that. And his face was just looked like something you wanted to punch to bits.

When did he become this monster he was now? Wasn't he changing ever since then?

Anyway, the following day she and her 'comrades' journeyed from Rice Country, through Fire Country to their destination, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, though Tayuya had to listen to all of 'comrades'' comments and complaints. When they had arrived, her 'comrades' nominated her as their spy to watch over the Uchiha and see when he was alone. As usual she cursed them to kingdom come, they ignored her, and she would grumble and do her thing. Of course though, she was the only one suited for stealth; she was a Genjutsu Mistress after all. Her 'comrades' though would be too loud, kill the people around them, or just are plain stupid to be stealthy like her.

During her surveillance of the Uchiha she caught him communing with the pinkette and blonde while he was in the hospital. She could see that they were close, but yet Sasuke would always be distant to his friends. Heck, the boy even had someone to call him a brother! How she wanted someone that considered her like that, so special to someone's heart.

But no one had, unlike the young blonde boy in her dreams.

Or were they memories?

After a day of watching the Uchiha interact with his friends, Tayuya began surveillancing the defenses of the Hidden Leaf. She did need to get her 'comrades' in to the village for the mission. On her second day, she began drifting away from paying attention to the Uchiha to the blonde, who she later found out was one Naruto Uzumaki.

Her breath had hitched in her throat when she learned his name. Was he her childhood sweetheart from her dreams? She had hoped so much that he was. But after several hours of watching him, she realized the boy in her memories and this Naruto were not the same. The blonde in her dreams was a boy who was clam and collected. On occasion though, he would act like a bumbling idiot and shout out loud that he'd be a better Hokage than his old man was and protect everyone and make her smack him over the head for being too loud.

The blonde in her memories would always tell her his dream was to be the Hokage like his father and ancestors before him. Whenever they would eat ramen at Ichiraku's Ramen stand, he would eat at a slow and sophisticated pace. He would never look at any girl but her. And when he ever did look directly at a girl, was when he was defending her from them. Whenever the aged Third Hokage would visit both him and her, he would address him as Lord Hokage and get playfully scolded for not calling him gramps and then doing so.

He was nothing like this blonde idiot though.

This Naruto would shout would shout out loud that he'd be the best Hokage in the village's history and that everyone would respect him for it. He would also ask out that pinkette, Sakura Haruno and fail stupendously. This blonde would also slurp down ramen like a pig and address the Lady Hokage, Tsunade Senju, as old hag. She would grow a tic mark on her head every time she heard the midget call Lady Tsunade that.

But they were fundamentally the same. Both Naruto and the blonde wanted to be Hokage to protect everyone. Both had an unstoppable drive to succeed. Both were fairly familiar with the Hokages. Both had the same ninja way.

But before she could even contact Naruto and see if he was her childhood sweetheart from her memories, the mission to retrieve Sasuke Uchiha was underway.

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><p>Tayuya and the rest of her squad had encountered Sasuke and told him of Lord Orochimaru's offer for power to Sasuke. She had almost made a comment on whether or not that bastard Orochimaru was a damn pedophile or something, but she kept her tongue.<p>

Tayuya though had opted to use reverse psychology and tell him that he doesn't need his friends, teammates or village and all that jazz. Apparently he didn't get what she was hinting at.

'Bastard.' She had snarled to herself. She would have given anything to be in his position. He had fame, fortune. He was the legacy of one the most powerful families in the history of the Hidden Leaf Village. He had adoring fans; people who practically worshipped him and a sensei that watched over him like a son. But most of all, he had a brother in all but blood. But he was willing to throw it all away just to get revenge? How dumb could one get?

When the Sound Four had left knowing that Sasuke would take their offer, Tayuya had stayed behind and watched the Uchiha telling her 'comrades' some bullshit excuse. When she saw Sakura try to stop Sasuke from leaving the village, she felt pity for the younger girl. She knew she shouldn't have, but she did. Even though she, the Haruno, loved Sasuke, he still left after knocking her out with a chop to the neck. At least he said thank you to the girl and left her on a bench. He even got a blanket for Sakura. Now she didn't feel like beating the shit out of the Uchiha for his un-gentleman like behavior.

When Sasuke arrived at the clearing where the Sound Four was, Tayuya could see something underlying in his eyes. Though she was gifted at reading peoples' body language and eyes, she could not understand what it was that was in his eyes, even if she saw it briefly.

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><p>In the early hours of the fourth day the Sound Four plus one Sasuke Uchiha in a barrel had left for Rice Country. They did not take a leisurely run through fire Country because it was only a matter of time a retrieval squad was sent after Sasuke.<p>

She just hoped that she would never had to face Naruto if he would, no, when he would go to rescue the Uchiha. She had seen the power of the Chidori and Rasengan and their devastating results. At first she thought the Fourth Hokage's signature jutsu was weak compared to the Chidori, what with the Chidori ripping a large gash in the water tank while the Rasengan only tore a fist big hole in its target. When she saw the Uchiha stare wide eyed at the two tanks from the other side, she had to see what it was. What she saw was a gigantic whole ripped into the steel. And the blast came from inside of the damn water tank! She shuddered at what that attack would have done if it had hit any unfortunate bastard.

The chunin along the way were a great way to vent though. It was a tough battle but they were able to beat them even if the surprised them. Tayuya even was able to shake off the thoughts of that blonde.

Though when she stayed behind to 'give them the finishing blow', she instead used some low level iryo jutsus to keep them alive until help came.

She could never truely kill anyone, that blonde taught her that.

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><p><strong>'<em>Life, though fragile, is something to cherish and protect<br>Even if it is your enemy's.'_**

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><p>It was then, nearly three hours after they had faced those chunins, that they discovered who their persuers were. It was, from her point of view, a lazy bastard with a pineapple-esc hairstyle, a Hyuga who looked constipated, a fat ass, a feral looking kid and his mutt and Naruto.<p>

Of all of their expressions, Tayuya flinched at the unbridled look of hatred on Naruto's face. She was almost definitely sure it was the blonde from her memories. He always used to have that look on his face whenever someone had hurt her. To see it directed at her, it just made her want to break down and cry and ask for his forgiveness.

But she shook it off thinking that he wasn't that blonde and that blonde had never existed, that he was a trick of her own mind wanting something to hold onto and hope that was real. Besides, she thought, she was nothing more than one of Orochimaru's adjutants and those personal feelings had no place in her heart. She was a kunoichi of the Sound Village and nothing more.

She, the 'bonded for life' twins, and spider boy had left fat ass to deal with the Leaf chunin and genins. She had a feeling that they wouldn't have seen the last of them though.

She knew she shouldn't have said that. Not even twenty minutes later their persuers were back on their tail, though she noted that the fat ass genin wasn't with them. She chuckled at that. In her head she pictured both of them in sumo attire and wrestling each other in the sumo ring. Oh, what crude humor she had.

Anyway, she realized that spider boy was going to take care of them when he dropped back. She though that most likely the constipated Hyuga would deal with him because of his Bloodline Limit. Kidomaru always liked to hide around when he fought his opponents. He'd probably get himself killed for underestimating the genin.

Her guess was right when the only ones following her, Sakon and Ukon were the lazy bastard, the Inuzuka and Naruto. She then came up with the stupid idea that the Siamese twins would abandon her to deal with one of the genin. Tayuya guessed correctly, when she realized that the wonder twins abandoned her to deal with the Inuzuka leaving her to deal with the pineapple head and Naruto.

She mentally face-palmed and scolded herself for getting this shit right.

Nearly ten minutes of chasing later Tayuya was ready just to give the Uchiha back and escape with her life when she detected a familiar chakra source. She stopped and did her whole monologue and such for the two younger boys. Then Kimimaro arrived. They way he said that to her made her so pissed off. But she didn't want to vent on Naruto because he would most likely kill her without a second thought even if she went all out.

So when Naruto went to chase after Orochimaru's lapdog, she pretended to try and stop him just to keep up the act. When he left, she turned to her opponent and introduced herself as Tayuya, no surname, while she played a melody on her flute and by proxy a genjutsu. But when he broke the illusion and introduced himself as Shikamaru Nara, she knew she was in for a long fight. The pineapple head even had her go to Level 2 on her curse seal and summon her ogres.

When she almost had him though in her grips ready to kill him, which she wouldn't, a blonde with four pigtails and a battle fan appeared and knocked her back. She didn't even have a chance when the girl, Temari of the Desert, used her Wind Sickle Scythe Jutsu and literally brought the house down on her.

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><p>And thus we come back to said unhappy camper.<p>

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><p>As the trees crumbled under the pressure of the wind and snapped like twigs, Tayuya's world slowed down dramatically. From her standpoint she could see the fallen trees falling down upon her. She knew this must have meant it was her end.<p>

She began reminiscing on her life thus far and frowned. When she first met Orochimaru he promised her that he would raise her like his own daughter. But he lied about that. When she met the other boys who would grow up to become the Sound Four with her, she thought she would have friends. But they just were stone cold to her. She later had to learn to swallow her emotions and develop a mask, a mask of hatred and contempt for her fellow man.

It was all due to that smiling blonde boy in her dreams.

Or maybe it was her memories trying to resurface?

The boy always had radiant blonde hair that seemed to shine as bright as the sun. His smile was always so warm and comforting to her that she wanted to hold him in her arms and never let go. His eyes though were what held her the most. Deep ocean-blue eyes that seemed as deep as the depths of the very seas, eyes that she could drown in and be happy that she did. His was the only thing that kept her going for these last eight years of her life when she felt like all light in her life was lost.

As the fallen trees descended upon her body, Tayuya had only one regret in her life.

'I wish I would have seen you once more my beloved...'

The trees had finally fallen upon her and crushed her body; his name and a thought were the last on her mind before the embrace of death's cold arms encircled her.

'...Naruto. I'm sorry.'

But a saving grace came in the form of her burden since her age of five. The Cursed Seal of Heaven gifted to her by Lord Orochimaru had saved her from instant death. The Cursed Seal was supposed to disappear from a person's body after they were deceased.

Tayuya's though malfunctioned. A slight mistake on the sealing array in the stolen Caged Bird Seal caused the seal to release itself from the applied person directly at death. Because of this the chakra and life force being held back by the Cursed Seal flooded her body with enough power that when she would die the Cursed Seal would bring her back to life.

She had thought that she would have died then and there. But when she felt the Cursed Seal leave her and a well of power and energy course through her, she knew that she would live another day. And now that it had left her, Orochimaru would not have realized she was still alive and hunted her down to kill her for most likely coming back from the mission.

Tayuya scowled fiercely. This whole mission was a botched up piece of shit and that this was nothing more than a suicide mission. She rebuked herself for that. ALL of the missions Orochimaru had sent his Sound ninja to had been suicide missions. The bastard didn't even care if his subordinates were killed as long as the mission was accomplished and his goals were furthered.

They, the Sound Four, were sent into the middle of enemy territory directly to their main hub to capture one of their prized genin and bring him back to their country while dodging chunin and jonin patrols. Even if the Sound Four were solid chunin level ninja and jonin with their Level 2 Curse Seals activated, they should have considered themselves lucky to have beaten those other experienced chunin. It was only because they got the drop on them that they were able to get away only breathing heavily. If they had fought honorably, or as honorably as ninjas would have, they would have been trampled quite badly.

As Tayuya lay there underneath a pile of fallen timbers with her midsection numb as ice, she felt another rush of something that nearly knocked her unconscious. From how the thing hurt like a bitch and she kept seeing flashes, she could have guessed that beneath her Cursed Seal of Heaven that there was a Memory Suppression Seal some how tied to it, and a powerful one at that.

She gasped when one memory hit her like one ton of bricks, or in this case one ton of trees.

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><p><em>It was during twilight of July Seventh during the year 341 that we find a five-year-old Tayuya sitting on the back porch of the orphanage she was currently staying at swinging her legs back and forth. Her normally hazel brown eyes were now mainly green with a blue inner color near the iris. Her shoulder length crimson red hair was of beautiful sheen that seemed to shine whenever the sun's light reflected off of it.<em>

_As usual she had on one off her favorite sundresses. It was the one that Naruto gave her on her birthday last month. A beautiful and elegant sky blue sundress with white roses embroiled down the left side of the front, white trimming on the bottom of the dress and at the ends of the straps._

_She was humming an unknown tune to many except her and Naruto because he taught it to her. It was a song called 'Why' by a lady named Ayaka. Pretty nice song if you asked her, although she wondered why Naruto would sing such a bittersweet song. Maybe because it talked about the eyes of a person in the first line or something?_

_A pair of hands covered her eyes and an angelic voice whispered into her ear. That voice always made Tayuya shiver each time he would whisper into her ear. She just hoped he didn't... Oh he did._

"_Guess who Hitomi-chan?" Naruto's voice whispered into her ear as he nibbled on her earlobe._

"_Do you always have to do, ngh, that whenever you greet me Naruto-kun?" she asked back as she struggled to understand why he would do that to her. "And can't you stop reading those adult romances?" She squeaked out loud when he removed his hands and wrapped them around her waist and pulled her onto his lap._

_His voice chuckled in her ear as he rested his chin on her shoulder. "Nope." He placed a chaste kiss on her cheek and nuzzled it. "I wouldn't be me if I did now would I?"_

_Hitomi giggled in his arms as she leaned back into Naruto's chest. Even if she was a year older than him, by only a few months he would always remind her, he was five inches taller, making him a solid three-foot ten-inches while she was three-foot five-inches. She nudged his head off her shoulder and replaced it on top of her head. One would always find Naruto and Hitomi in this position sitting under the twilight sky with smiles on their faces._

"_I guess you wouldn't be my Naruto-kun if you didn't," she laughed._

"_When did I become _your_ Naruto-kun Hitomi-chan?" He had that cheeky look on his face again with that smile. Naruto always teased her about being possessive of him and would be merciless about it. Before he would make her blush a bright red, almost the color of her hair. But after awhile, Hitomi learned how to come up with a good come back. She would always get the last word now in every argument.___

"_The same day I became _your_ Hitomi-chan Naruto-kun," she retorted. Naruto just laughed out loud. Hitomi followed directly after him. His laugh was just too contagious.___

_After a minute of laughing out loud, Hitomi and Naruto watched as the sun fell over the horizon changing the color of the sky as it moved closer and closer away._

_During that time, Hitomi contemplated about the blonde whose lap she was sitting one. She had only known him for two years, but was probably the best two years of her five year long life. Her first year with him was an awkward experience for her to say the least. Even though she had someone who was full of life like her, he would always tire her out so easily and he still could keep going. It was on the last month of the first year that it changed._

_Naruto had been lost for the whole month. No one had any idea of where the child was, not that many of the people cared. Hitomi would always ask Haruka-nee-chan where Naruto had gone to and would only get a smile in response. After the third week the Third Hokage had reluctantly called off the search to find Naruto._

_Hitomi refused to accept that Naruto was gone._

_Though she didn't know him that well, he had grown into a person she could trust and rely upon. And she just could picture life without the blonde boy because he was always a constant in her life, what with him following her like a lost puppy sometimes. Or when he would always try to impress her by beating the other kids at 'Ninja'. She had just so gotten used to the blonde, that life felt dull for her and some of the other orphans without him around._

_It was the following week later that Naruto was found walking to the gates of the Hidden Leaf. No one knew how or when he had escaped but he did. The Third had asked the young boy where he had gone, but was only told he was out for a while. Many called for his death, but when they met his eyes, it was like meeting the cold steel of the sword of your executioner._

_When Hitomi met him again, the first thing she did was she slapped him across the face for being an idiot and making her worry for him._

"_Didn't mean to make you worry Hitomi-chan," the four year old blonde chuckled as he hugged the older girl._

"_Idiot," she mumbled into his chest._

"_I promise I'll never leave you."_

"_Promise?"_

"_I swear it. I don't go back on my promises, that's my ninja way," he all but muttered the last part._

_It was during the second year of being with him that she was able to see how the blonde changed. Though he was a still a yellow blob of energy, he would always keep pace with other people. Naruto was more calm and sullen whenever Hitomi would catch him alone gazing at the stars. That far-off look in his eyes always made her wonder why he would look like that. No child that young had burdens that heavy to make him sigh so deeply._

_Oh if only she knew._

"_Naruto-kun! Hitomi-chan! Dinner's ready!" Neither Hitomi nor Naruto had heard the call from their Haruka-nee. That is until they heard her second call._

"_Mr. and Mrs. Uzumaki are you going to come in or are you going to continue playing husband and wife out here?" a tall brunette with an electronic cigarette in her mouth asked._

_Hitomi flushed a bright pink at being called her Naruto-kun's wife. Naruto on the other hand had a strangely dubbed shit-eating grin on his face. "Are you sure it wouldn't be Mr. and Mrs. Harusuki Haruka-nee? I mean the last name is all up to Hitomi-chan." He looked down at the girl in his lap. "Which one has more of ring to it, Hitomi Uzumaki or Naruto Harusuki?"_

_Hitomi had an atomic blush because not only did Naruto and Haruka-nee consider her Naruto-kun's wife, but also the fact that Naruto was willing to give up his last name just to make her happy. It was any girl's dream to have a boy this loyal to her. But she was still young, so the only true thing that made her blush was the idea of her and Naruto being married._

"_I like both names," she squeaked out. _

_Naruto's grin widened even further when he looked at his Haruka-nee. "I guess we're going to be the Harusuki-Uzumakis then Haruka-nee." Hitomi also smiled when she heard that he was going to combine both names when they married, though her blushed deepened, if that were possible, at the still possible prospect of marrying the Uzumaki._

_Haruka Himatsura just laughed at the grinning blonde boy and smiling, albeit blushing, redhead girl sitting in his lap. "Well come on. Dinner's ready you two, the ramen is going to get cold."_

_In the next 3.5 seconds the blonde boy was already sprinting past her with Hitomi on her back. The loud "Ramen!" followed him, as the young yellow blob seemed to break the sound barrier. Haruka just shook her head wondering from which parent of his the lovable oaf got his love of ramen from._

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><p><strong>'<em>Life is fragile like glass<br>One spider crack in it can cause it to shatter.'_**

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><p><em>Around her, everything was a hot, fiery blaze. The fire was sweltering and consumed the very air that Hitomi was breathing. The heat so unbelievable high, that it made the very sweat dry off of her body and the saliva in her mouth go dry, giving Hitomi more trouble to breathe. Her own room was on fire, suffocating the like out of her.<em>

_She heard a crashing noise from the door of her room and saw it splinter. Another crash and a resounding 'Crack!' later, Hitomi's door was broken down. In the threshold of the doorway was Naruto holding what looked to be a coat rack. Hitomi would have asked if that were the coat rack from the main lobby and how he was able to carry it if not for the fact she went hysterical._

_She jumped into Naruto's arms causing him to drop the coat rack, stumbling back into the burning hallway. Naruto's eyes softened for a moment before he pulled the tearing girl up._

"_We have to find Haruka-nee, c'mon!" Hitomi didn't need to be convinced as she was already pulling the blonde after her to look for their onee-chan._

_But what they found would be ingrained into their young minds forever._

_Lying there, in a pool of her blood, was their onee-chan Haruka Himatsura, a large hole straight through her stomach being the cause of death. But she apparently she didn't go down without a fight._

_Not but a meter from her cold body was a masked ninja with a sword stabbed straight through his chest. It also appeared that he had tried to put pressure on the wound if the hands on his chest meant anything. Not that the two children knew anything about medicine. No, their main focus was the dead body of their elder sister figure._

_Hitomi let out strangled cry and buried her face into Naruto's shoulder as she cried out in loss. Naruto did nothing but hold her for that brief moment, before pushing her away and looking her in the eyes. He nodded to Hitomi; she understood the look in his eyes._

'_Tears can come later. First: survive.'_

_Naruto turned around and leaned forward slightly. That was Hitomi's cue to hop on which she did. Naruto secured her on his back, readjusting his arms so that she was in place. He broke out into a sprint, Hitomi bouncing slightly on his back as he ran. She wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck, but not too tightly as to choke him and closed her eyes._

_Naruto would have smiled at her if this were a normal time of day. It currently was not, and all thoughts of romance, happiness, and sunshine was the furthest from his mind. Right now he had only one mindset: get out of this alive with Hitomi._

_With that thought he speed through to find a way to a proper exit._

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><p><em>Nearly fifteen minutes and four potential exits ruined, time was running out for both young children. Though Naruto was smart and knew that the Nine-Tails would save him, he knew his body wouldn't be conscious when it was saved from the fire, and he worried for Hitomi-chan. The poor girl was hacking and coughing up a storm. And from the sounds of it, she was almost close from dying from both oxygen depravation and dehydration.<em>

_Because of his idle musings, Naruto tripped on a fallen chair and fell, flinging Hitomi away from him. She landed roughly on the wooden floor and moaned out in pain. Hitomi coughed roughly as she struggled to get back up, but stop when she saw something approach Naruto from behind. If it weren't for her hoarse voice from being trapped in the fire, he would have heard her desperate cry._

"_Naruto-kun, behind you!"_

_Too late, Hitomi watched in horror as Naruto was stabbed through the stomach with a tanto and thrown to the side. She would have screamed out in horror if not for the fact that a cloth with a weird smelling gas was placed over her mouth. Her final thoughts before she lost consciousness were of the selfless kind._

'_Please, live Naruto.'_

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><p><em>Hitomi, from there, had then proceeded to phase in and out of consciousness for the next, what felt to her, three days before she regained full consciousness. She knew she was being fed, though not tasty food to her, by the leftover taste in her mouth and the water still there on her lips. She also felt the same sundress that she wore on that fateful day still on her. Okay, so she hadn't changed in days and from the smell, she could tell that she hadn't bathed in that amount of time either.<em>

_She couldn't tell where she was because of the blindfold over her eyes, but from the cold dampness in the air and the sliminess of the wall, she knew she was in some kind of dungeon. But where she did not know. She even tried to move her hands but she found that they were bound along with her legs and that she was tied to a chair. So they most obviously fed her by spoon and had a cup held up for her to drink. _

_Because of her position, Hitomi learned to fall asleep while siting up in a chair. Though not comfortable as a futon, she had to get used it if she were trapped here._

_Sometimes she would hear the door open and close, but that was only during the time someone came to her cell to check on her or feed her. She was able to go to the bathroom though one day when she couldn't hold it in anymore. Though it wasn't great hospitality, she didn't feel anyone watching her while she did her business; they even took off her blindfold._

_It was on her seventh day in her cell that everything changed.  
><em>

_When Hitomi woke up from her slumber, she could feel warm air rushing past her. She would have rejoiced at being out of that dingy dungeon, but she still knew she was in dire straits. Her arms and legs were still bound and she was still blindfolded. Though this time they added in a gag to stop her from making a noise and alerting anyone around them._

_Nearly a day of moving through forest (she could tell because forests just had that certain scent to them), she felt the person whose arms she was in come to a halt. She was then laid down onto a dirt patch of land and smelled what seemed to be ink all around her. She had the felt an ink brush begin working on her neck._

_Hitomi screamed through her gag when the person who drew the seal activated it by shouting out its name._

"_Memories of a Lost past Suppression Seal!"_

_Her pain was only compounded when she felt like something was being stripped from the very essence of her being and being squashed to near nonexistence. Her world became black once more as the pain took her consciousness._

* * *

><p><strong>'<em>If you lose memories of who you essentially are<br>You might as well have not existed.'_**

* * *

><p><em>When Hitomi woke up, she blinked slowly to clean the cobwebs out of her mind. She propped her body up with one arm and surveyed the area around her, idly noting that a blanket was wrapped around her and that a fire was roaring before her, and then herself. She pushed the blanket off of herself to see what she was wearing. She wondered when she donned this sky blue sundress and wondered what in the world she did to make it so dirty.<em>

_She tried to recall the memories, but she just couldn't seem to dredge the memories up to the surface. It was like they were in reach but every time she tried to grab them they'd slip away. It was so frustrating to her that she screamed out loud._

"_What's the problem little one?" she heard a kind voice in front of her say. Hitomi's eyes shoot up to look at the stranger who was sitting across her from the fire and tensed._

_Sitting across from her was a man who appeared to be in his mid-forties with an albino white skin shade. His ink black hair has straight and seemed to flow past his shoulders. His eyes though seemed like a predator's, a snake's. But it was the disarming smile of his and the warmth in his eyes that made her relax._

_Hitomi continued to study the man for a little while before her stomach grumbled loudly, causing her to blush and hug her stomach. She heard an amused chuckle escape the stranger's lips._

"_Would you like a fried fish before you tell me your woes?" he asked, holding another stick with a fried fish skewered on it. Hitomi nodded and greatly accepted the meal from the albino man._

_After a few minutes of chewing on the meal, Hitomi tossed the skewer into the fire like the stranger did just a few minutes ago. She went from watching the flames of the fire flicker to the stars in the night sky above her. A few minutes later the stranger introduced himself._

"_My name's Orochimaru. What's yours little one?"_

_Hitomi tried to recall her memory of her name but drew a blank again. She growled in frustration once more and let loose a loud scream. After half a minute of screaming Hitomi calmed down before she turn to the newly introduced Orochimaru with tears in her eyes. "I-I don't know who I am. I don't know where I come from or where I was born. Heck, I don't even remember how I got here!" Finally she broke down and sobbed with every fiber of her being._

_Orochimaru's eyes softened before he walked over to the young girl and held her in his arms rocking back and forth, cooing to her and patting her back. After a while her sobs stopped and he held her at arms length and looked in her in the eyes, noting the puffy red eyes and flushed cheeks. He hugged her once more before her set her back down._

"_Better?" he asked with a small smile._

"_Uh-huh," she nodded her tiny head once._

"_How about I bring you with me to my village. Would you like that?" he offered the young redhead girl. _

"_Are you a ninja Mr. Orochimaru?" At the nod from him she whooped out loud. "Can I be a ninja? I always wanted to be a ninja! It's my lifelong dream!" At the happy smile from Orochimaru she went over the words she said and then let out a gasp as she whooped once more at remembering something from her past life._

"_See you remembered something of your past life little one. Maybe if you come with me you'll maybe regain some of your memories."_

_He got up and pulled the smiling girl along with him and quickly performed a weak water jutsu that dowsed the campfire, eliciting a squeal of excitement from the young redhead at seeing a jutsu up close. He then proceeded to leave the campsite when he noticed his much younger companion was still there staring off into space. He frowned slightly as he walked back to the girl and kneeled to her level._

"_Is something wrong little one?"_

"_I don't have a name," was the mumbled reply._

_Orochimaru's eyes softened as he stood up once more and then ruffled the young girl's hair. He chuckled at girls miffed expression and when she complained that he messed up her hair. "How's about I give you a name, hmm?"_

_Hitomi's head shot up so fast that Orochimaru worried for a second that she snapped her neck. Her eyes were and amber brown with blue flecks near the iris sparkled. "You would do that, for me?" she whispered hopefully._

_The albino man chuckled once more and nodded. Hitomi whooped once more and began bouncing up and down on the balls of her heels sounding off random names. He placed both of his hands on her shoulders to calm her down. He had a look of consideration on his face before he had a 'I got it!' look flash on._

"_How about, I name you Tayuya?"_

_Hitomi's face scrunched up weirdly and she pouted. "What kind of name is that?" she complained._

"_It's my wife's last name." He laughed jovially when he saw the awed look on her face. "In fact, I see a lot of her in you."_

_Her face brightened once more. She then looked down and in a timid voice asked, "If you give me your wife's name, can I call you daddy?" At his questioning gaze Hitomi explained very quickly waving her arms around haphazardly, "I-I mean it's only right for the mom to name her daughter after her if she wants her husband to remember her, not that she's not dead or anything." She had an awkward look on her face while a series of nervous chuckles escaped Hitomi's lips._

"_Of course you can call daddy Tayuya-chan," Orochimaru smiled._

_He was caught of guard though when he had a flying tackle hit him courtesy of Tayuya. Again with the tears, this girl must have not had much. But then again the girl didn't have much to remember and by proxy who she essentially was. He smiled once more as he rocked her back and forth until he could hear snores coming from her._

_Orochimaru sighed softly as he adjusted the girls in his arms so he was carrying her like how a mother carried her own baby around. He looked at the girl in his arms and made the long trek back to one of his established bases in Rice Country._

* * *

><p>Tayuya let out a strangled gasp as she remembered the most eventful time in her life that had changed everything. Though she wondered how in the hell the Naruto from then was like the Naruto now, she considered the fact that maybe his life changed just as drastically, for better or worse for all she knew, on the same day her life changed.<p>

She could also tell that Orochimaru wasn't the one to fault with her loss of memories due to the Memories of a Lost past Suppression Seal because of one single fact, the hand used to draw the seal. Though Orochimaru was ambidextrous, he was usually dominant with his right hand when it came to writing any seals and that he had a simple flow of the brush. The one who wrote her seal has a left handed person with a slight, unnoticeable tremble of the hand. Now that she thought harder, she realized that the voice of the seal master was an old and ancient man.

She shook her head and cleared her thoughts of that. She didn't have any clues on truely who was on what side or how Naruto-

Naruto! That idiot had just passed through here minutes ago chasing after Kimimaro-

"Fuck!" she screamed out loud drawing the attention of Temari and Shikamaru who were apparently...making out in broad daylight. Both the Leaf shadow-user and the Sand kunoichi jumped apart at being caught, even if it was by an enemy, and blushed. Temari shook it off at turned to the trapped Tayuya while Shikamaru adopted his trademark bored look.

"How are you still-" Temari started, but was then cut off by the antsy redhead.

"Get these damn trees off me would ya! We have to save Naruto! He's nowhere near Kimimaro's level even if that guy has a disease!" she shouted out loud trying to move the logs.

"How do you know-" Shikamaru asked in an interested tone. Again, he was cut off as well by the redhead.

"There's no time!" she growled angrily, baring her canines, "When need to save him!"

"Why do we-"

"JUST GET ME THE FUCK OUT FROM UNDER THIS SHIT ALREADY! I'LL EXPLAIN LATER YOU FUCKTARDS!" she roared while releasing a powerful killing intent that was easily on the level of a seasoned jonin's.

Needless to say, Temari and Shikamaru could work quite well when motivated.

Outwardly Tayuya, no, Hitomi was glaring at the two to go faster. Inwardly inside, she was worried. She was worried for her childhood companion and whether or not he was still alive.

Hitomi felt the movement of the fallen timber and rose up when the offending piece of flora wasn't on top of her. She flexed her muscles, first punching the air and then kicking away, a bit and realized that she could run a bit before she had to stop. Luckily the life energy and chakra being held back the Curse Seal of Heaven was able to heal the damage.

But Hitomi knew the healing was going to be short lived. If she didn't get medical treatment quickly, she would probably be a cripple for life. Even now she felt it getting hard to breathe in and out and that her legs felt stiffer and stiffer by the minute. Time was running short.

She turned to the kunoichi and chunin who were both giving Hitomi weird looks. She grunted and motioned with her head in a, 'Let's go' style and jumped away into the direction where Naruto and Kimimaro had headed. She hadn't even taken notice of the fact she no longer had her battle-flute.

Temari looked and Shikamaru and only received a shrug. It wasn't one of Shikamaru's usual, 'I'm bored' shrugs, it was one of his, 'I'm just as lost as you are. Let's go along with it for now' shrug.

The blonde kunoichi sighed before jumping after the redheaded girl. Shikamaru stood in the man-made clearing for a moment mulling over things. He had realized that there were too many holes in the big idea and stored it away under his 'true mysteries' file in his mind.

"What a drag." That was his variation of his clans troublesome, though his clansmen called him even more troublesome for coming up with a troublesome variation of the troublesome catchphrase troublesome. Troublesome.

He sighed to himself and leapt away after both Hitomi and Temari.

'Where do you fit in all of this stuff Naruto?'

* * *

><p><strong>'<em>A women of the opposing nation<br>Comes to the aid of her wounded love  
>To see his smiling face once more<br>Though their lives have changed  
>Their hearts have not<br>And neither has their undying love for one another'_**

* * *

><p><strong><strong>End of Restored Memories and Lives Arc: Episode I<strong>**

**Memories Return**

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><p><strong>Author's Notes or Rants:<strong>

**So what'd y'all think about my first fanfiction? Read and Review please.**

**Anyone liked the ball out of left field with Orochimaru? If not and your complaining that he's not evil enough, tough trout!**

**Also notice that I don't do the line breaks. **

**Tayuya's (fanon) name is Hitomi. Also when I refer to Hitomi it will either be in the omnipresent point of view or in Hitomi or Naruto's point of view. Everyone else will be calling Hitomi, Tayuya. **

**Also, yeah Naruto knows romance, or some of the stuff. Hey I understood the basics of romance when I was five, and Naruto is more intelligent and cunning than most people give him credit for. Also Naruto's point of view will be told in chapter two, which I am working on right now. **

**Anyway, I'll go in further depth later. Now please read a different story until the next chapter is up.**

**Ciao! **

**Love,**

**The Envoy of the White Moon**

**A VERY BIG NOTE TO EVERYONE WHO GETS DONE HERE: CLICK ON THE BUTTON THAT SAYS NEXT AND READ THE OTHER CHAPTERS I HAVE ON HERE! AND ALSO TO ANYONE WHO CAN OR WANTS TO REVIEW, REVIEW FOR ALL OF THE GODS SAKES! I WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU PEOPLE THINK OF MY ROOKIE WORK!**

**Hi!**


	2. Reunion with My Past

Memories Lost, Lingering Futures

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><p><strong>I do not own the manga or anime Naruto. That is the property of Masashi Kishimoto. That his name? I don't really remember. Also I do not own the quote at the beginning of the chapter or inbetween. That is Square Enix's LOVELESS from Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core. I also do not own the Guardian Spirits from Baten Kaitos. I do own Soren though. I also do not own Sephiroth from Final Fantasy 7 that is again, Square Enix's.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Rant Starts, NOW!<strong>

**Now all of you reader who have been waiting for Naruto's part in the action wave your hands in the air like you just don't care! If you like Sasuke (*Receives boo's from several people*) he will get his own chapter later on.**

**Also don't you see that I lied with the line-break thing last chapter? I screwed trying to get the story how I had it in Microsoft Word and then it didn't and then (*screams out in frustration while pulling hair*) do you get the picture. **

**Just to make sure people don't get confused Tayuya(1) will be referred to as Tayuya(2) when in the presence of other people. Tayuya (1) will be referred to as Hitomi (1) when it's just herself thinking or when she is with Naruto.**

**Also to tell all those reading this story, I'm pulling all of this out of my ass right now! Yep, that's right! I am a writer with no aim! I have a main idea, but I have no fillings. That is where my imagination comes in. I pretty much have read a lot of stories and played enough games to get a general idea of how to write a symphony. I have enough feeling to convey in this story how to truely make it seem real, I hope. Anyway, thanks for the support!**

**Also, I want to give a shout out to all the people from the Philippines who has read the story! I was born there, but raised in the States, but I still have some Philippines running through my veins! **

**Also, umm... Oh yeah! Anyone know a Haruka who is a brunette and smokes? If you don't, read Love Hina. Also if you don't know who Haruka really is in the story, I'll give you a hint.**

"**Dango is the food of the gods! Ramen is nothing but blasphemy!"**

**If that isn't enough to hint who she is you are dumber than a sack of potatoes.**

**The disclaimer for the Guardian Spirits will be explained later! If you don't know what a Guardian Spirit is it is a spirit that is attached to a person's heart. They live in another world and give advice to the person they are linked to. Also they choose whom to attach themselves to, not the other way around. Also the people who have Guardian spirits are called Spiriters and who are said to sway the very fate of the world.**

**Also, I will be using the metric system in this story. I mean, c'mon this story is Japanese originally, right? It's only right that I use their measurements. If you don't get the measurements I will put the approximate English measurement in parentheses.**

**The word bosom is weird.**

**Also when you see anything italicized, that means it is a memory, usually from someone's point of view. **

**Also, please freaking review for me! I need to hear the voice... er... read the words of my readers to see how they like this story.**

**Hmmmm... Not much of an author's rant huh? Or am I just losing it? (*Shrugs*) Oh well.**

**Let us return to the story then!**

* * *

><p><strong>Restored Memories and Lives Arc: Episode II<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2: Reunion with My Past<strong>

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><p><strong><em>'My friend the fates are cruel<br>__There are no dreams, no honor remains  
><em>_The arrow has left the bow of the goddess'_**

* * *

><p>One tiny raindrop fell on the nose of one Hashirama Senju's statue. Thirteen seconds later a raindrop fell on the right pinky of Madara Uchiha's statue. The two statues of the rivals stood still face two face to face with one another with their right hands facing forward. A bolt of lightning was seen in the distance before it disappeared. Ten seconds later a loud thunderclap occurred.<p>

Seconds later a few raindrops fell, then hundreds, and then thousands. Within a minute of the thunder clap, the valley where the two statues stood, the Valley of the End, was drenched with rain as the storm continued. Not one thing was spared from the cold tears that fell from the sky.

Not even the orange jumpsuit-wearing boy lying at the foot of Hashirama Senju's statue was spared.

Naruto Uzumaki lay there still; not moving or flinching at all as the heavens mercilessly rained down upon him. It was not like he could even move anyway, not with the large, gaping hole in his chest. He grunted every time rain would hit the wound and irritate the more damaged areas.

'Damn it all to hell. How did it come to this?' he asked himself. 'Oh, right,' he groused. 'It was all because of Sasuke.'

He closed his eyes and inhaled then sighed deeply before opening his eyes once more staring into the raining clouds and stewed in his own thoughts. Oddly enough none of the falling raindrops hit Naruto's eyes, though a person may chalk that up for his hair blocking the water away from his eyes and protecting them. His hair also cast a shadow over his eyes from a certain point of view.

But if a person were to look at Naruto's face, they would have realized that he had tears streaming down his face, but again they would have chalked it up for the rain once more. Most people would, but only seven people truely knew whenever the boy was going to cry.

The first person was someone he had known for nearly all his life, Ayame. The young woman had always seen through his defenses, no matter how many he put up around himself. Every time he would come to the Ichiraku Ramen stand with a smile too wide and a voice too happy, even slightly, Ayame would know if the boy was swallowing the pain and walking forward.

She would always commend Naruto for being so strong, even if he was surrounded with his back against the wall. He was far braver than any ninja or Kage for always standing up for not only himself, but for those who couldn't. He was also stronger in heart, will and soul because of the burden he carried, the hate and loneliness he swallowed and dreams of a brighter future he carried. He even had that, 'Never give up, never surrender! See your will through!' attitude.

When he approached her one day at the stand and told her about his burden, he expected her to turn her back on him, that the kindness he received from her was forced, and that she truely didn't care for him.

When this surprised him, and Ayame had asked why he was and he explained it to her, he got a slap to the face.

"_Idiot, why would I not continue to care for you?"_

"_I thought you-"_

_Ayame stopped him there and poked him in the forehead. "Well that's where you are wrong buster! I will always stand by you, even if I'm not center stage with you," she mumbled the last words._

_Naruto caught those last choice words and blushed for a second before schooling his features._

From that day on Naruto would notice that Ayame would always be coming on to him in somewhat provocative ways, or acting in a seductive manner, or even speaking, no, more like purring to him. It had gotten awkward sometimes but Naruto would always act oblivious to peoples' feelings, just in case he would never be able to fulfill any of his promises and hurt them. But you know the improbability of that.

That, or the fact he didn't want anyone too close to him when he brought the house tumbling down on himself.

Or that maybe there was always someone else for her besides him.

Anyway, the second person who could see through Naruto's defenses was Iruka, obviously because of the Mizuki/Forbidden Scroll Incident. Because Iruka had confessed that he was pretty much like Naruto in many ways, he had felt a connection with the chunin and thus lowered his barriers when around only Iruka.

Iruka himself had been stunned when he realized that the young, energetic, naive, oblivious, and loud boy he once new had turned into a somewhat sullen, nostalgic and keen-minded young man. But each and everyday the chunin would see the 'child' Naruto get smaller and smaller, and the 'ninja' Naruto get more and more prominent. He soon realized that it went from 'dual-personalities' to 'true and false' when it came to his personalities.

By then, Iruka had realized Naruto's true abilities and skills. But Naruto had told him he would never reveal his powers until needed to and that he would not flaunt his abilities. When Iruka had asked him why, he only responded with three words.

"_I grew up."_

The Third Hokage was also an obvious one to point out. Naruto trusted and respected the Third from hiding his burden from him when he was nothing but an immature brat. Because, he thought, the Third Hokage was just looking out for him. And also, he didn't want him bragging that he was the son of one the Hokages and a prince of a fallen country to boot, that would only invite unwanted attention and ass-kissing, something Naruto would never want; because he didn't want to become arrogant and then fall so far.

But ever since the day he found out, he began changing.

Kakashi, Tsunade and Jiraiya were the next three on his list, mainly because the fact they were the closest he had to having an older brother, grandmother and grandfather. They were his family anytime he went to them and talked.

It took Kakashi two days to act as his elder brother figure. When Naruto to had confronted Kakashi for not watching over his sensei's son, Kakashi looked mortified. The jonin had wanted to make it up to Naruto, but was turned down. Naruto had told him that just being there for him was enough now. But, Naruto had asked him to treat him as a brother when they were alone, like on the occasions they visited the Heroes' Memorial. Kakashi had just given him his patented, 'eye-smile', which consisted of his only visible eye curling up into an upside-down 'U'.

When Kakashi had asked if Naruto wanted any training, he had turned him down on even that. He instead told the older man to train Sasuke since he was the only one who could train the Uchiha properly. In hindsight he didn't begrudge the student of his father for training the Sasuke at all, because in all honesty the Uchiha 'prodigy' was far weaker than Naruto, not that Kakashi knew that anyway.

Tsunade had taken him three days to turn. The Slug Summoner had been terrified to see such a happy-go-lucky kid turn into a steel-eyed young man; his happiness and exuberant care-free attitude just evaporating right then and there before her eyes. He brought a smile to her face in remembrance of her brother and fiancée, and the apprentice of Jiraiya, who all shared with him the same kindness, free-will, dream to become Hokage and the will to protect all precious to them. She didn't want him to grow up too fast and lose who he once was.

That was why she became both a mother and grandmother figure to him; to make sure he had someone to come to whenever he felt down and needed to cry on a shoulder. Sometimes he would ask Ayame to come with him whenever he visited Tsunade for personal reasons. What better way to get your stress and woes out than with your mother and sister holding you?

But then again, some people may take that meaning the wrong way.

Like if Jiraiya saw him like that, he would probably put as a character in one of his Icha-Icha's. He'd probably name it Icha-Icha: Family Times. Oh by the gods he would never hear the end of it with the innuendoes from Kakashi and Jiraiya.

Speaking of the 'Pervy-Sage' he was probably the closest like he had to his father, since he was his father's father. Jiraiya had brushed it off saying Naruto's mind was making things up. But when he was given a medical form with three samples tested on it, his, Naruto's and Minato's, and confirmed that they were all linked together, Jiraiya had asked him how long he knew.

"_I have my ways," was all he said._

Naruto had then dodged questions left and right afterward from his grandfather. After a while he had gotten tired of his old man's questions and just proceeded to attack him.

Jiraiya didn't last five minutes.

The main reason why he was defeated so easily was because he was completely caught off guard by his grandson. He also didn't expect a perfect Rasengan formed in each hand to slam into his gut.

Naruto had told him if he wanted to learn his secrets he would have to learn who he was and teach him truely. Jiraiya had agreed instantly, wanting to know what truely made him who he was. What he learned though was something he would never share with anyone, not even Naruto's grandmother.

He had thought about what set him apart from others; he would always sigh wistfully.

"To look upon eternity, to look upon the edge of sanity, insanity, fantasy and reality and keep a single focus hardens a person in a true warrior. To sacrifice one's own self to save all is to be called a hero, to put others before yourself, even if it means distancing yourself from their heart is to called a true friend."

Naruto chuckled when those words spilled forth from his lips. To many, those words would sound so moving and true, to others it would be an excuse to sound emo and say 'go fuck yourself' to your friends. Both would be right.

"But then again, most heroes are forgotten by history. I may be no exception." He sighed once more as he set himself up. "But until then, I'll make the best of it."

He then paused for a second to try and remember who was the seventh person on his list. He tried to pull forth the image of the person but only pulled up a hazy figure. What he could make out was the hair, 'Red', and the eyes of the person, 'How could I forget someone with such beautiful eyes?'

Naruto gritted his teeth in frustration trying to dredge up the memory of the person. Still all he would get was the fiery red hair of the person and those beautiful eyes. But now he could make out the distinct curve of the figure, 'A... girl? I thought only Ayame was that close to me?'

When he dug further he finally was able to make out a figure. The girl, or a very young five-year old, had long flowing red hair that fell just past her neck. Her stunning eyes, that were a mix of amber with an emerald green center with flecks of blue in the amber color, seemed to be endless to him. Her smile though was what really got him. It was so warm, so kind, and had such a strange alien feeling to it. It wasn't bad, it was just something new; it was something he hadn't experienced in a while.

Naruto looked deep inside himself to find what that feeling was. He gasped when he realized what the feeling was. Love.

When he focused more and more on the memory of the young girl, his environment was slowing down more and more around him. If he had paid attention that is. Instead his mind was working furiously to find all the memories connected to it.

A blue sundress... A friendship... A warmth protected and fostered... A smile from the girl, those were just some of the things that came up with the memories tied to the girl. But for every good memory, there is always a bad memory. Fire all around... Loss of an elder sister... A masked assailant... Lost memories, those were the final memories connected to the girl. But still no name.

'What is your name?' he growled.

'Hiyori? Mitomi? Yorui? Hi...tomi... Hitomi?'

He gasped out loud when the memory slammed into him.

* * *

><p><em>A three-year-old Naruto was sitting in the sandbox building a sandcastle when suddenly it was kicked over. He bawled his eyes out and had snot running out his nose. The boy who knocked down his sandcastle would have made a comment on why the 'Loner' was crying over such a stupid thing when he got kicked in the behind.<em>

"_Apologize, you bully!" a distinctive feminine voice shouted._

"_And why should I?" the young wannabe punk sneered. "It's just a stupid sandcastle?"_

"_So if I kicked both of your shins and you asked me to apologize, I would probably say that's it's just your shins, how would you react, hmmm?"_

_The boy had nothing to say if his opening and closing mouth had anything to do with it. He made a disgruntled face. "Tch. Hey loner!"_

"_My name's Naruto," the young three-year-old blonde mumbled._

"_Eh?" the boy asked as if he had a few screws loose._

"_I said my name is Naruto!" he shouted out loud as he glared at the older boy. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, not Loner!"_

_The older boy would have come up with a smart remark if it were not for the fact he was almost choking on very potent killer intent that's coming from a three-year-old anyway. "S-sorry about y-your sandcastle Naruto. I didn't mean to knock it down. I was playing ninja with some of the other kids and didn't know where I was going."_

_Naruto's eyes immediately softened while a bright smile crept along his lips. He waved his hand at the boy in a dismissive way. "It's alright. All you had to do was apologize. No harm done anyway. Besides," he smiled a toothy grin this time, "I have to learn to forgive and forget if I want to be a hero like the Hokages."_

_The boy just looked at him funny and then burst out laughing. The girl, who had red hair and stunning eyes, was just giggling madly._

"_Hey! What's so funny? You got a problem with my dream?" he asked, his smile turning into a very cute pout. After a while though, Naruto joined the revelry._

_When all three were done laughing the boy looked at both Naruto and the redhead. "Hey! You guys want to join our game?"_

_Naruto had an excited look in his eyes, and if he were in an anime, like the ones he watched he would probably have stars in his eyes. Usually no one ever asked him to play with them except for Haruka-nee. "Really! I can join you guys!" he asked, more like shouted._

"_Yeah! Of course you can! What about you?" he asked, turning his eyes to the redhead._

_The girl had a thoughtful look on her face before she shrugged, her arms going up as well with it. She then adopted a playful smirk. "Why not?"_

"_Oh, by the way, the name's Ryu." With that he turned and sprinted away as two other kids came into to the area. The two had annoyed looks on their faces before their eyes turned to Naruto and the girl._

"_You guys in huh?" Naruto and the redhead gulped audibly as the two kids approached them with scary looks on their faces. Naruto looked at the redhead, then the two kids who were a little older then him then back to the girl. He jumped up quickly before picking up the redhead bridal style and sprinting away._

_A few minutes later when they both had every looking for them, Naruto looked at the girl in his arms and stared at her eyes. He hadn't gotten a very good look at them, but now that he did, only one thought came to mind and also exited his lips._

"_So pretty." The girl in his arms blushed and seemed to shrink in on herself. _

"_Thanks," she mumbled to Naruto. After a minute of standing there in awkwardness, Naruto staring at the girl's face while her face kept getting redder and redder by the second, it was broken. "Umm... C-could you let me down?"_

"_Huh?" Naruto asked as he broke out of his daze. He looked at the girl questioningly, then remembered what she had just asked him, even though he was half-listening at the time. "Uh, sure." Naruto bent down until the girl's feet were touching the ground and then released her._

_The girl smoothed out the wrinkles in her pink sundress before looking at Naruto then diverting her eyes to the ground. She had a blush on her face the whole time, while her eyes were on the ground, trying to avoid the blonde boy's gaze, her hair shadowing her face from Naruto. The blonde boy just had a thoughtful look on his face before he opened his mouth._

"_So, umm... What's your name? I mean you know my name anyway, so why shouldn't I know yours?"_

"_Hitomi," the redhead mumbled through her lips._

"_Pupil?" he asked dumbfounded. "I can see why you would be named that; you have such pretty eyes." Naruto then crouched down on the ground beneath the girl and looked up into her eyes, her face frozen still. "Yup, really pretty," he chirped._

_Hitomi blushed at the gaze she was receiving from the boy. "T-thank you. No one usually compliments me on my eyes. Other kids think my eyes are weird, that's why I don't have many friends."_

_Naruto's eyes softened at that. "Would you want me... to be your friend?" he asked in a calm, soothing tone._

_Hitomi's eyes widened suddenly and had a surprised gleam in them. "Would you... Would you really want to be... my friend?" she asked in a hushed voice._

_Naruto smiled brightly. "Of course I would. Everyone needs a friend. And besides, do I really need to have a reason to be friends with you?"_

_After a minute of staring at the boy, Hitomi smiled as well, though her blush was still there on her face. "I'd like that. Thank you, Naruto." They stared at each other before a cough cleared the air around them. They both turned their eyes to the person which said cough originated._

_The woman, who appeared to be sixteen, had a cigarette in-between her smirking lips. Her brown hair just barely touched the juncture between her neck and shoulder. Her dress attire was brown slacks, a green sweater and an apron that had the kanji for dango. Currently her hazel eyes danced with mirth as she looked at the two children._

"_Aren't you two going to kiss or something?" she asked in an amused tone._

"_Haruka-nee!" the blonde boy shouted as he launched himself at the older girl. Haruka looked surprised for a second before she caught the blonde blob in her arms and proceeded to give her usual greeting: a noogie._

_After a minute of the banter, Naruto turned his attention to Hitomi and then back to Haruka. "Haruka-nee, can Hitomi join us?" he asked after he wormed his way out of the sixteen-year-old girl's arms. _

_Haruka looked at the young boy beside her and smiled before ruffling his already messy hair. "Of course she can." Haruka then turned around and began walking to the living quarters of the orphanage._

"_C'mon!" Naruto shouted excitedly as he dragged Hitomi along with him. He had a smile on his face the entire time as he held the hand of the older girl._

_If he had turned around, she would have seen a smile on her face as well, along with a very bright pink blush._

* * *

><p>After the memory of how he met Hitomi came to him, he screamed out in agony and clutched his head as a myriad of memories all connected to Hitomi, or had Hitomi as a central thought, bombarded his mind.<p>

'The time I brought her to Ichiraku Ramen...

'The time I bought her that blue sundress...

'The times I would always tease her...

'The... Eon... Caverns...'

Naruto gasped let loose a strangled gasp as the memory of the Eon Caverns hit him.

"_Your world's fate is changing... reshaping its very self..._

"_You have the power to change it... you, the Child of Revolution... Genesis Child..._

"_I have seen the many paths of this world... and I wish to change it for the better..._

"_To do so... I must teach you the ways of the Spiriters..._

"_Many a great pains await you... will you accept the fate... of holding this burden yourself..._

"_Your very burden... is your greatest gift... She will guide you when the time comes..."_

"It is time to shape the fate of the world, O Child of Revolution, Genesis Child. It is time for the power of two to become the power of one," a voice within his head echoed.

Naruto's eyes rolled up into the back of his head as he slumped to the ground unconscious.

* * *

><p><strong>'<em>The past shall be realized...<br>_****_The paths shall open...  
>A new dawn will arise...<br>New villains will arise...  
>New allies will join his cause...<br>The very shape of the world's fate is shifting...'_**

* * *

><p>All around him Naruto felt a very cold dampness one would associate a dungeon with. He also noted sourly that he was face down in three centimeters (1.2 inches) of water.<p>

'Oh joy,' he thought bitterly as he pushed himself off the ground into a standing position. His eyes scanned the surroundings of the area and noted the slightly cracked walls to his sides. He also noted that there were numerous doors all around evenly spaced from on another by two meters (78.7 inches or 6 feet, 6 inches). His ears picked up the distinct 'drip, drip' that one would associate a leaky pipe with. He turned around and saw a very wide opening leading to a very large meadow. He quirked his eyebrow at that.

How the hell did he miss something so dubiously large? He shrugged and reasoned that maybe he was too busy in his mindscape to worry about other things. He wrote down in a mental memo, which oddly enough was one of the rooms near him, that he needed to take the time to explore his own head a bit more. He also noted, a bit irked, that he would not sound like those self-help people who always say, "Learn more about your self," and all that nonsense.

Naruto's sapphire eyes turned upward and looked at his chakra pipes more closely. He noted as usual that he had the big pipe, with a very blue chakra running through it. He then also noted the very, big pipe with red yokai running through it. His eyebrows knitted in annoyance for a second before his eyes landed on something he had never seen before.

Right beside the blue pipe that represented his chakra was another blue pipe, and it seemed to be merging with his chakra! His eyes widened as he stared at the second pipe slowly fusing with his, and noted with fascination that both were growing larger and larger as they joined together.

Naruto turned forward towards the darkness of his mind and ran like a man possessed by a demon, which he wasn't possessed by, more like a bailiff for. Anyway, he continued to sprint until a fork in the road appeared before him in his mind. He didn't slow, no; he just increased his speed and ran right, not even trusting his mind at all and instead trusted his instincts. Nearly two minutes of running later, Naruto had finally reached his destination.

He stood in the threshold of the room and gazed at the area once more. He had only truely been here a few times, but now that had stopped to look around himself, he noticed a great deal of things. Along the walls were a great many number of paper seals with many functions, many of which he didn't even know existed. Two seals he noted bitterly were a memory suppression seal, and a strength suppression seal. But he also noted, with smug satisfaction, that they were nearly torn to pieces, having only a few key parts of the seal arrays left.

He looked to the cage and saw a standing Nine-tailed fox, nearly sixty-one meters tall (two hundred feet), with a blood red coating, and black tipped tails glaring at something. Naruto's eyes followed the gaze of the tailed-beast and saw two figures looking at him.

The figure to his (Naruto's) right was a man of a high stature. The man was nearly two meters tall, only falling short of the mark by 2 centimeters (six foot, six inches). He had messy black hair, with two bangs coming down the side of his face. One bang though was completely white. The man's eyes were also completely red, but not like the Uchihas' or Kurenai-sensei's. No, they were the kind that one could stare at wonder what this man had seen. Those eyes were weary. Naruto could make out any other distinguishing traits of the man because he hid behind a black cloak, not to mention the lighting in the area sucked. The only other thing he could note was the combat boots sticking out of the bottom.

Naruto shook his head for a second and didn't see the figure smirk. His eyes then turned to the figure to his left and recoiled in shock.

"Holy hell! There's another me!" Naruto shouted as he pointed to the figure. And he was right. The figure on his right was a complete replica of himself, the same hairstyle and color as his, same eye coloration as his, stature and clothing as his. The birthmarks were also dead on as well.

"No! I'm Ichigo Kurosaki you dolt! Of course I'm you dumb-ass! Oh, wait... I just called myself a dumb-ass," the other Naruto slumped dejectedly.

The Naruto at the door deadpanned and looked at the slumped other him and mentally counted.

'Three... Two... One... Lift off.' Instantly the other him brightened and smiled brightly, causing the first Naruto to deadpan even more, if that were possible.

After a few seconds of staring and standing in silence the first Naruto turned to the other figure. "Who the hell are you?"

"My, my Naruto," the man said lazily. "You don't remember the man you met in the Eon Caverns? For shame, for shame." The man smirked at the startled expression of the first Naruto.

"Soren," he muttered.

"Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!" he announced excitedly. After a while though, the man's smirk fell into a thin line on his lips. "Do you remember everything now?"

Naruto's face was set in a concentrated scowl, before it disappeared. He looked at the man and crossed his hands over his chest and leaned to the side.

"Remember? Of course I do," Naruto muttered lazily. "How the hell could I forget the very things that changed my fate? I mean what are, you stupid?" Naruto was quite serious about that accusation. Naruto then turned to the other him and then back to Soren. "I'm guessing he is the part of me that was split off from me?" He sighed at the nod from Soren. "And let me guess, because the whole splitting apart thing, we had to compensate for the loss and rebuild from what we have and we have both me and him right?" Another nod from Soren was his answer. "So let me guess, he is the part of, the one you trained in the Eon Caverns, that was locked away by that bastard?" Again, a nod was his only confirmation from the stoic Soren. "Well at least I got rid of the naive me. I need to take up my mantle don't I?"

"Indeed Naruto. But first..." Soren turned around and stared at the great Nine-Tailed fox and raised his hand and pulled.

The Nine-Tailed Fox let loose a strangled roar as it felt something being torn from the very core of itself. Its eyes widened when it realized what the man was trying to release.

"No! You will not take that wretched whore's soul from me! Her soul is mine! She dug her own grave when she tried to tame so much hatred! I will not let you take my prize!"

A final tug from Soren's outstretched hand caused the great being to lurch forward. A bright ball of light was pulled directly from the Tailed-Beast's heart.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The ball of light zoomed away from the being as it lurched to try and catch it. It slammed into the bars and glared at the man who pulled its trophy out of its case. The ball of light then exploded out and would have blinded everyone if it were not for the fact that it happened for a millisecond. It the lights place was figure.

The first thing that became noticeable was the figure of the person. A woman was the only gender that had those curves. She also stood at 182 centimeters (six feet). But they could see nothing else because light was shining from her body, hiding it from their eyes. Next was the hair. The hair itself fell down to the woman's waist and was silvery while neck length bangs came down the sides of the face. Next was the face; her face was heart shaped with high cheekbones, denouncing a regal look about her. The eyes that the female had were emerald green and slitted, like a cat's eyes. Next came the body; all noted that the female was definitely a woman if her large bosom meant anything. Edged at the tips of her breasts were very rosy pink nipples. She also had a very defined hourglass figure that Soren noted was so slim and had such curvaceous curves that if he were a car; he would crash and burn on those things. Long slender arms with delicate fingers were also seen. The hips on the woman were very nice. And finally her legs were nice, long and firm and denoted that she had athletic runner's build. Finally, everyone noted that she was naked. *

Before anyone had even a second to gaze at her, she had donned a very large black cloak. The first Naruto, who had already joined everyone in the open area raised an eyebrow and turned to Soren and noted that he had done a very gentleman like deed, giving up his cloak for the nude woman.

Naruto again raised his eyebrow at what Soren was wearing. Apparently he like black. Everything on him was black; his sleeve-less turtleneck was black, his cargo pants were black, and the shoulder guard on his left shoulder was black. He also noticed the black claymore strapped to his back in a very large scabbard. When he turned back to face the woman, he blushed bright red at remembering her previous state of dress.

Soren sighed when he had finally clothed the woman before anyone could faint from blood loss, though he wasn't doing too good right now. When he looked at the woman, he gasped out loud.

"Holy shit! It's a female Sephiroth!" he screeched as her pointed an accusing finger at the woman.

"Who is this 'Sephiroth' of whom you speak of? Thy name is Hikari. And who ar't thou?" the woman, Hikari, asked in a coy, yet melodious tune. The two Narutos hadn't heard her voice though as they were both in a daze because of the sight of their first naked woman, and a rather developed one at that.

Soren facepalmed and slid his hand down his face. When his hand left his face he had a deadpan on his face. "Talk normally Hikari. We aren't in the Old Age anymore." A smirk formed on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Or would you rather relive the past with me?" he asked in sultry tone.

In an instant Hikari was pressing her body against Soren's. "What say we... leave these children for some fun," she purred as she licked his left cheek.

Two fake retching sounds were heard from behind Hikari and Soren that caused the two to stop their witty bantering. They turned around to see the first and second Narutos pointing a finger at their mouths with their tongues hanging out.

"Bleh! You guys are just as bad as the Pervy-Sage and Kakashi-sensei!" both Narutos shouted as one.

"By the way," the second Naruto asked.

"Who's Sephiroth?" the first Naruto finished.

Soren would have been seen sweatdropping if this were an anime from the way he looked. "Erm... He's a good friend of mine!" he chirped happily. "Yep! Good old friend of mine..." he finished weakly. He didn't want to tell the two that Sephiroth was a fallen hero with a god-complex and had omniscidal tendencies and wanted to destroy his world and use the dead world's carcass as a spaceship to find the Promised Land.

The Nine-Tailed Fox just smirked at the whole situation. To it, this was more fun that those day time animes the kid would watch, though that one with the boy named after a fruit was okay in its' book. "By all means, continue. I'm having fun watching this," the greatest of all the Tailed-Beasts chuckled with mirth.

Soren waved his wand lazily with his smirk still going strong. "Maybe another time." He dropped his smirk once more and adopted a stoic look as he turned to the two Narutos. "The two shall become one once more..."

"The past and present shall mingle to shape the future..." Hikari chorused.

"The Child of Revolution shall be reborn..." the two Narutos said as one as they grasped the other's right hand. A burst of light flooded forth from both Narutos and enveloped the whole room of the Nine-Tail Fox's cage. Soren had a small smile gracing his lips, while Hikari was beaming brightly, and the Nine-Tailed Fox had a snarl on its face while all this was happening.

After the light had died down, both Narutos had disappeared and in their place stood a different Naruto. This Naruto was one hundred and fifty two centimeters tall (five feet) and had a build that one would have if they ran for their whole life. His arms were well muscled, but not over the top.

His face was sharp and had little baby fat on it. His birthmarks, the three whisker like markings on each cheek, were more pronounced and had could be seen twitching slightly. Though the cheeks still radiated cute, his face and look radiated a feeling of mysteriousness and danger. His eyes were a much sharper blue than before and exuded a calm and calculated gaze. The blonde mop of hair on his head was now even spikier than before, while two bangs framed his face.

His choice of clothing was a black pair of pants that had two belts strapped around his left thigh, while one belt was strapped around his right thigh. His feet were cover by black combat boots with steel soles. A calf length red trench coat with black flames licking the edge of the arms and bottom covered his fishnet shirt. On the trench cat was two black, diamond shaped shoulder guards, with steel lining them.

Dangling from a small chain wrapped around his neck was the crystal of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. His fishnet shirt also showed off his chest, which was well defined for a twelve year old, and his abdomen, which showed a four-pack going onto a six-pack.

His Hidden Leaf forehead-protector was not strapped around his forehead, but instead had the metal plate stitched to the right forearm of his trench coat while a metal plate with a swirl on it was stictched to the left forearm of the trench coat. On the back of his red trench coat was a giant, red spiral, the symbol for the ninjas of Whirlpool Country and the royal house, the Uzumakis.

"A new path shall be opened..." Naruto held out his left hand and showed his palm. Instantly lightly and darkness gathered in the palm of his hand and shaped into the form of a daitō, a Japanese long sword. His hand wrapped itself firmly around the ornate handle as he scrutinized it with his eyes.

The main blade of the daitō being made of half black steel and half white steel, the two colors being even split down the middle. The cross-guard of the sword appeared to be two feathery white wings, extended out. There was a third wing, a black raven wing that extended from the edge of the handle and toward the center of the first two wings. At the pommel of the sword was a red swirl, again attributed to the fallen country of Naruto's ancestors. In essence the sword was a cross between the blade of a long sword and the handle and cross-guard of a rapier.

He closed his eyes and pointed his sword to the roof of the room and exhaled sharply. He opened his eyes quickly and then let loose a shout.

"Rrrraaaahhhh!" he screamed to the heavens as two wings burst from his back. Extending from his right shoulder blade was a meter-and-a-half long wing (fifty-nine inches or nearly five feet). It was a very pure colored white dove wing. Feathers, twenty centimeters long (eight inches), extended from the wing itself. From his left shoulder blade came a raven wing with feathers as dark as the night sky itself. It was also a meter-and-a-half long and had feathers that were twenty centimeters long.

Naruto didn't even look behind himself to realize what was there; he had already done this before anyway. He flapped both of his wings and propelled himself of the ground by five centimeters to get out all the kinks (two inches). He floated back down and the sound of his boots hitting water and cold cement echoed through his mindscape.

"And the dawn of a new age shall come." Naruto finished n a whisper. With a flourish of his right hand, both of his wings dissipated in a flurry of white and black feathers. When said feathers hit the water, the simply disappeared. Naruto's eyes though were on his sword.

"Eienkage," he whispered. "The sword of the Genesis's."

"Though it is a legendary sword Naruto," Soren spoke as he approached the young boy, Hikari trailing slightly after him with a regal gait, "It is not the sword of the wielder that is to be feared..."

"... It is the wielder of the sword that is to be feared," Naruto finished quietly. "Give a legendary sword to a weak person, its honor and heritage is tarnished. Give a dull old blade to a sword master, and he shall forge that sword into a legend." He let his right arm hang down by his side, as the sword had grown heavy on his arm.

"Good, you remembered my teachings all those years ago," Soren said with a smirk gracing his lips.

"How could I not when you've beaten it into my head?" Naruto retorted as he tapped his temple with his fore and middle finger. He then turned his eyes to the woman standing beside his old master. "So who are you?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"This is Hikari," Soren introduced her.

Hikari bowed in greeting to the boy, who reciprocated the action. "It is nice to meet you Naruto of the Uzumaki, Senju and Namikaze."

"She is your Guardian Spirit."

Naruto deadpanned and turned to his former master. "Uh, Soren? I thought you said Guardian Spirits were from another world?"

Soren laughed at the young boy and ruffled his hair. "She is Naruto. It's kinda complicated to explain."

Naruto looked at his master and sighed before batting away his hand. "I'll listen to it another time. Right now I need to get out of here." Naruto turned around and headed toward the door, but stopped directly at the threshold. He turned around and fidgeted slightly. "Will the clothing come with me?"

"No... Why do you ask anyway?" Soren inquired as he crossed his arms.

"Well, umm... these clothes are cool and all, and I want to keep them..." he let the rest hang in the air.

Soren's expression deadpanned and his left eye twitched. "Can't you tailor your clothes. You have been living on your own for a while now," he reasoned. At the sheepish look from Naruto and the "I hadn't thought about that," comment he facepalmed and groaned out loud.

"One last thing, will the physical change have happened to me in the real world?"

"Why? It's not like anyone would notice that you grew five centimeters," Soren said in a dismissive tone.

Naruto looked somewhat uncomfortable at that, he knew quite a few people who would notice the slight difference. "You'd be surprised actually," he laughed. After a second he looked at Soren and then Hikari. "Will I be able to hear Hikari at all?"

"Of course. But," he said, noticing the uncomfortable look on Naruto's face, "You don't need to respond verbally. Only you can hear her voice, and only you can respond to it." Soren uncrossed his arms and looked directly at Naruto's eyes. "Besides we don't want you to be sent to the crazy house for talking to voices in your head, do we?"

"Yeah, I guess not," he laughed sheepishly. "Erm... One final question."

"Oh by the eons, what is it!" Soren asked in an irritated tone.

"Will the sword follow me?"

Soren stared at Naruto and after a while, Naruto became very uncomfortable (he was getting uncomfortable a lot lately) with his old master gaze. He nearly ran for the hills until he heard Soren sigh dramatically. "Didn't I already teach you how to dismiss and call that thing?" he growled.

"Ehehehe... Sorry." Naruto stared at his surroundings for a bit before he noticed he was beginning to fade.

"So that's how I get out of here!" his disembodied voice said.

* * *

><p>"So do you think he is ready?" Hikari asked Soren after Naruto had left.<p>

Soren had already turned away from her and had already begun to walk away. "He will be ready," Soren said as he stopped before the Nine-Tail's cage. "He already has the adaptation instinct down pat."

"Change or die," Hikari chuckled as she walked to Soren's side. "Isn't that a little harsh Soren?"

Soren turned his head and looked into Hikari's eyes. "A hero's life is always harsh. You must carry the fate of the world on your shoulders alone and learn to cope. If you don't you'll die. It has been the order of the world since time immemorial Hikari." Soren turned his head and gazed into the yellow slitted eyes of the Nine-Tailed Fox. "When the time comes, will you test him? You are the only one of us who is allowed to directly interfere with his world."

The Nine-Tailed Fox adopted an annoyed look as it turned its head to the left. "I will do so. If he fails though," the greatest of all the Tailed-Beasts turned and stared directly at Soren, his reflection on the surface of the demon's eye, "I will devour his soul. And watch as his world burns and make him watch, knowing he failed."

Soren sighed and looked down. "Thank you, Makoto."

"I do not go by that name star wanderer! That is my past! I am the greatest of all the Tailed-Beast! The Nine-Tailed Fox!" the Fox's rant was cut short when it heard something leave Soren's lips.

"Do you know what Naruto's dream is?" His eyes were still focused on the ground beneath him, before he looked in the Fox's eye. "It is to save this world and those who still have a small mote of redemption left in them." Soren smirked at the startled look on the Fox's face. "Maybe one day he can save you Makoto, and free you from yourself."

With that said, Soren and Hikari disappeared into thin air, leaving the Nine-Tailed Fox alone in the chamber.

"To be free once more... It is nothing more than a pipe dream... Though a very wonderful and bright pipe dream... Maybe he will..." the Fox muttered to herself as she curled into a ball, wrapping her tails around herself. "Be the one..." she whispered before she fell asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>'<em>My soul, corrupted by vengeance<br>__Hath endured torment to find the end of the journey  
><em>_In my own Salvation  
><em>_And your Eternal Slumber'_**

* * *

><p>When Naruto's eyes opened up, he was greeted by a pair of emerald green eyes, with a blue center, and yellow flecks in the pupil. The face of the person was definitely a girl's because of the full, pink lips. Hanging down from the girl's head was red hair that was very close to his face. Naruto's mind had again tried to link this person to someone, when he remembered the redhead he and Shikamaru encountered earlier. But it could be the redhead from his memories of a child.<p>

"Who are you?" he asked weakly.

"Still don't recognize me, my Naruto-kun?" the redhead asked softly. "I'll give you a hint," she said in a mischievous tone. "We'll be the Harusuki-Uzumakis Naruto-kun," she giggled at his startled look. "That is if you take me out on a date when we're older."

"Hitomi-chan," he said breathlessly.

"Yeah," she nodded, "It's me. But call me Tayuya okay?"

Naruto instantly jumped up and pointed an accusing finger at her. "You're that girl from the Sound Four!" At her hesitant nod he snarled, "What are you doing here? And why the hell are you trying to pass off as someone I cared about?" he roared. "You aren't Hitomi you fucking bitch!"

Tayuya's eyes had been shadowed over by her hair when Naruto had called her a 'fucking bitch'. Her teeth clenched into a snarl as he shot at Naruto and grabbed him by the collar of the shirt and lifted him off the ground.

"Why in the hell would I fucking lie to you, you shithead! What in the hell would compel me to lie about the past you and I shared you dumbass prick! Do you really not want me back in your life anymore!" At the beginning of Tayuya's rant, Naruto had noted that she was restraining tears, though barely. When Naruto thought it through, and the words he said, he might have gone over the top with his reactions. He regretted it even more when he realized Tayuya had slumped to the ground by the end of her rant and had tears streaming down her cheeks.

Naruto's face took on a mortified look. He truely had acted like a dumbass prick and almost crushed her, even though she had only come back into his life recently. He bent down to the slumped form of Tayuya and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear. "I didn't mean to overreact at all. It's just, I've been betrayed recently and it's hard to cope with what is, what was, and what will be." He exhaled through his nose, causing the air leaving his nose to tickled Tayuya's ear.

"It's alright," Tayuya said as she pressed her forehead against Naruto's shoulder. "You used to jump the kunai before anyway. I should have explained things slowly. But then again," she giggled, "You live such a fast-paced life that it's hard to keep up with you.

"Sorry."

"Idiot, stop saying sorry I'll get pissed at you," she mock-threatened.

"Sorry," Naruto said just to annoy her. He immediately jumped up to dodge the punch that was heading towards his stomach. "Sorry, sorry, sorry," he teased.

"Oh now you've done it!" she laughed as she jumped up. Naruto adopted a mock-horrified expression and began running away from her. "Get back here you!"

Three minutes later, a panting duo landed in the Valley of the End and came across this situation; one of their comrades was being chased by one of their formerly dead enemies and both were laughing.

"Seems they know each other," Temari said.

"What a drag," was Shikamaru's only comment. 'What does all this mean? I've never seen Naruto so open when it comes to people. Even to his friends, he's like a closed book with a fake cover story. And yet here he is with an enemy who says she knows him and apparently someone he knows and they're both playing around like kids.' Shikamaru scowled and let loose an annoyed sigh. 'Who are you Naruto?'

"TAYUYA!"

That scream tore through the air and both Temari and Shikamaru turned their attention to the valley and saw that Tayuya was lying facedown. Naruto was already by her side, checking her over. They both jumped down into the valley and ran to Tayuya's prone form and kneeled on the other side of her body, opposite of Naruto.

"We need to get her to Granny-Tsunade immediately! Her heartbeat is low as is, and I counted three broken ribs and both of her femurs are fractured!" Both Shikamaru and Temari flinched when they heard Naruto's diagnosis of Tayuya.

"And from the blood leaking from her mouth, she's got internal bleeding and that may be from her punctured left lung!"

"Naruto, I'm sorry about what happened. I didn't know-" Temari was cut off by Naruto.

"Forget it! Yesterday's enemy is today's ally. Anyway, we need to go now!" he said urgently. He gently took Tayuya in his arms and was about to support her arm on his shoulder when he fell to one knee. "God damnit!" he shouted angrily.

"Naruto! Don't push yourself!" Temari said as she ran over to Naruto and Tayuya. She looked Naruto and realized what was wrong. There in his chest was a big gaping wound, the size of a fist. "You're hurt."

"Don't worry about me!" he snarled. "I'm fine! Just get Tayuya back to the village. If she asks, tell her Naruto is connected to her." Temari looked hesitant before she nodded. The blonde girl then took Tayuya in her arms bridal style and jumped away into the direction of the Hidden Leaf Village.

Shikamaru and Naruto had been left behind the two girls and the air that settled around them was that of silence. The Nara heir had stared at Naruto and noticed something odd. 'Did he grow five centimeters?'

"Hey, Naruto," Shikamaru asked in a slightly less bored tone.

"Not now Shikamaru. I don't want to talk about." He didn't even need to turn around to know that Shikamaru was surprised. "I'll tell you when I trust you enough." That caused Shikamaru to do a double take. "Maybe I'll learn to truely trust you. But for now, you're like everyone else: ignorant. Until the day comes when you're truely understand me, I won't tell you anything at all."

Shikamaru was in all honesty, surprised by Naruto's actions. The Naruto he and subsequently everyone knew was a loudmouth, show boater who would always boast about his self. This was a completely different Naruto. His forehead scrunched in concentration, trying to understand the blonde-haired enigma before him.

"Kakashi-sensei's here," Naruto said out loud. Shikamaru looked at him questionably before he felt the chakra signature of Naruto's jonin-sensei. He was completely surprised by that. How did the dead-last moron of his class notice something before him? He chalked it up as another mystery of the grand puzzle known as Naruto.

Kakashi Hatake looked at the tow boys waiting in the valley. One of them had a very annoyed look on his face, as if he wasn't able to understand something, while his student had an expressionless and unreadable look on his face, not even caring that he had a hole straight through his chest.

"Naruto are you okay?" Kakashi slowly approached the two and knelt down to his student's level.

"Save it for later Kakashi-sensei." His sensei's visible eye widened slightly before he nodded and lifted Naruto up to his feet and supported him. He turned to the chunin and indicated him to follow after.

The journey back to the Hidden Leaf was one of silence as the three ninjas walked to through the forest to the Hidden Leaf. Their thoughts though were raging as fast as whirlwinds.

'He's dropped his mask... What does this mean?' were the thoughts of Naruto's sensei.

'Who are you really Naruto?' the Nara questioned as he looked at Naruto.

'So... a new future shall open? I wonder what it will be,' Naruto mentally said to himself as he looked at the sky.

'_The future is for those of today to decide my dear Naruto,' _the voice of Hikari echoed within his mind.

'Yeah...'

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><p><strong><em>'Even if the morrow is barren of promise,<br>__Nothing shall forestall my return  
><em>_To become the dew that quenches the land  
><em>_To spare the sands, the seas, the skies  
><em>_I offer thee this silent sacrifice'_**

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><p><strong>End of Restored Memories and Lives Arc: Episode II<strong>

**Reunion with My Past**

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><p><strong>Author's Rant<strong>

**Do not nag me on the measurements okay! Also the whole wing size thing? Look up Genesis Rhapsodos and look how big his wing is! That thing is frigging huge!**

**Does the mental image of the new Naruto look cool, or did I not describe him enough? Also I've noticed that people make him look to buff for a twelve-year-old sometime and even a fourteen-year-old. I'm just trying to be realistic is all people.**

**Also in stories you never get every little detail when you read. If I did, you people wouldn't want to read this story anymore. Also when you read a story, you are not supposed to have every single thing laid out before you. You are like a person who just came into their life and they, the main characters, do not know you and thus will not tell you their secrets. You must gain their trust, which is in essence, learning their story and going with them on their journeys. A story is an adventure and a legacy of a writer. All writers should know this. But then again, those are my philosophies and beliefs. As Cloud Strife, who I do not own and is owned by Square Enix, said, "Do what you want."**

***(I had to bang my head against a wall every time I described this woman more and more. Oh god, nosebleed.)**

**Holy shit! I need to stop trying to kill myself!**

**Jump the kunai = Jump the gun.**

**Alright, Read and Review people before I send Gir to attack you with the happy pig dance.**

**Also, there is a poll on my profile, please vote while you can!**


	3. Farewell my Halcyon Days

Memories Lost, Lingering Futures

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I will only do this so people won't nag me about me not owning this or that. Also, I find out you stole Soren from me... I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN AND GUT YOU LIKE A FISH! If you'd like to fax me press the star key... That's from the How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which I do not own. I do not own Naruto, or anything affiliated with him. I also do not own the Guardian Sprits from Baten Kaitos, Monolith Inc. and Tri-Crescendo. I also do not own Genesis Rhapsodos of Crisis Core, Square Enix, or Sephiroth of Square Enix's Final Fantasy 7. Is... that it? Yeah... I think it is. I'll put any disclaimers of other things I use at the end of the story. The disclaimers above are the ones I can remember off the top of my head.<strong>

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><p><strong>Okay, onto my Author's Rant!<strong>

**1. I made a list now so it's easier to read my rant.**

**2. I fixed the measurement from 6 km to 60 m. I hope you see it because I forgot 6000 cm does not equal two hundred feet. (*Laughs sheepishly while rubbing back of head*)**

**3. 1,150 hits to the story, 23 alerts to it, 19 favorites to Memories Lost, Lingering Futures, 16 reviews to the first two chapters and posted in three communities as of 4:08 p.m., September 7, 2011. I posted this story five days ago and 737 visitors have either read or seen my story. If you want me to give a shout out to you, especially you guys in the Philippines, review for me! I want to hear your thoughts about my story, because a writer is only good when his readers ask him questions.**

**4. If you hate Sasuke (or Sasugay, hate that word. Though duck butt is funny) then you'll not like my story. Sure he will have betrayed all he _loved _(*hint*) (*hint*), but he still has light in him. I will not character-assassinate such a good character like Kishimoto did. And I will not bash him because people want me to. My Sasuke is different and will have redemption in the end, oh gods, spoiler!**

**5. To specify about the previous Naruto's look (the one after the two Narutos combined) It's like Genesis's leather coat mixed with Naruto's Toad-Sage cloak. The first forehead-protector plate is for the Hidden Leaf while the second head-protector plate is for the Hidden Whirlpool.**

**6. The Eienkage, is in essence a sword legacy; it does not have any special abilities other than the fact that it is the marker for the people who bring Revolution to their world. It stays with the person and if the solid body is stolen, the sword will become a dull useless blade. The person who originally had the sword could take up any bladed weapon, a dagger, a short sword, or a long sword, and after a while the Eienkage will return to its former state, remodeling the base of its self. So it's like a Soul Reaper's Soul Slaying Sword, but not completely like it. The Eienkage has on ability though, but I'll save that until it appears in the story.**

**7. I will not be giving Naruto a bloodline. To all of those who groaned, fear not! I will make a bloodline Naruto story after this story is nearly complete. In this story Naruto is a, 'learn as you go,' guy, pretty much how he normally is, but he will be fighting high level people so he will gain battlefield experience against veterans and such. Kind of like Ichigo Kurosaki.**

**8. In this Naruto will know Wind-Style, but he will know only high level, believable, moves in it. He will have Wind-Style: Rasen-Shuriken, so fear not Wind-Style Naruto lovers! Also because he has a sword, he can augment it with his Wind-chakra, so yeah. Cool fights!**

**9. That bring up another thing, I will not use the Doton, Fuuton (sp?), Katon or any of that stuff. I will not even use Wind-Release or Earth-Release. I will use Fire-Style: Fireball Jutsu or Water-Style: Water Dragon Missile and format my jutsus as such. If you want a technique to be in here, review and post it, but it has to be believable and down to earth and not god-like. I want this Naruto to seem, how do you saw, superhuman but not half-god.**

**10. The pairings in this story will be far different than many peoples' favorites, but I'd rather write something fresh and new.**

**11. The measurements are rounded up, okay? I don't do the whole point thing. If it's over 0.1 centimeters, I'll just add and extra 0.9 centimeters to their height to make them have a whole number. I mean the height thing isn't going to do anything to the story. Unless I really blunder on something. I hope that doesn't happen again.**

**12. Also I will never do a Naru/Hina pairing! It's not that I don't like the pairing, it's just that there is so much of it and that there isn't enough canon chemistry backing them up. If I disappoint you Naru/Hina fans I'm deeply sorry.**

**13. The pairing Naru/Tayu will be like Ichiruki. The reason why is because Naruto will have some emo moments, but unlike Sasuke who had no one to kick his ass in line, Naruto will have Tayuya, her words, and memories with her to drive him out of despair.**

**14. Again Just to make sure people don't get confused Tayuya(1) will be referred to as Tayuya(2) when in the presence of other people. Tayuya (1) will be referred to as Hitomi (1) when it's just herself thinking or when she is with Naruto. **

**I do not own Naruto!**

**I think that's everything I have to say. On with the story!**

**Also Halcyon Days are the calm days of someone's life before a storm, or change, hit it and changes his or her life.**

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><p><strong>Restored Memories and Lives arc: Episode III<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Farewell My Halcyon Days<strong>

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><p>'<em><strong>To walk forward away from safety<br>**__**Is to move away from the past  
><strong>__**To look behind one's self  
><strong>__**Is to remember that which was left behind  
><strong>__**To continue forward into the storm  
><strong>__**Is to venture into the future of uncertainty,  
><strong>__**Leaving behind what you once knew.'**_

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><p>Approaching the great gates of the Village Hidden in the Leaves were three travelers. They had traveled a long distance in such a short time, and were fatigued; well, the one with a pineapple-esc hairstyle was. The other two travelers were simply breathing somewhat deeper, but the person with a hole in his chest should not having been breathing that easily.<p>

The first figure, the one with the pineapple-esc hairstyle, had a bored look on has plain looking face. His brown eyes though, radiated intelligence and cunning. His height, a full length though, as he was currently slouched forward was 152 cm (59 inches or 4 feet, 11 inches). His name was Shikamaru Nara, heir of the Nara clan, the best strategists in all of the Hidden Leaf Village.

Currently he was wearing an open white shirt with his clan symbol on the sleeves, though completely dirty, with a wire mesh shirt underneath it, with the sleeves of the wire mesh shirt extending past his over-shirt. Over his clothing though was a flak jacket, though it was a very light green color, to indicate that he was a chunin level ninja acknowledged by the village. The front of the flak jacket had three breast pockets; the size on would slide scrolls into for safekeeping. On the back of his flak jacket was a red spiral, denoting the past the Hidden Leaf once shared with a fallen ally.

His choice of lower clothing was a pair of ninja-pants. The pants were wrapped in bandages from the calves down, ending with blue ninja-sandals. Strapped to his left thigh with bandages was a kunai-holster. His shuriken pouch was attached to the bandages wrapped around his waist, holding up his pants. His forehead-protector was instead strapped to his left forearm instead of around his forehead.

The second traveler was a ninja of a ver tall stature at 181 cm tall (71 inches or five feet, eleven inches), though one could not tell if his gravity-defying silver hair attributed to that or not. Many had argued that it didn't and that 181 centimeters was his original height while others argued that his hair added at least 5 cm onto his head (2 inches). All of this was argued in his female fan club though, and had not reached his or any other males' ears for that matter.

The first noteworthy thing about him anyone would point out was the fact that he had only one visible eye. His other eye, a Sharingan eye gifted to him by a fallen comrade of his, was covered with his slanted forehead-protector. Over his mouth was a mask that went up to his nose and curved over his cheeks and around his neck. So in short the man had only his right eye visible and his ears.

The man wore nothing but regulation ninja-gear; he wore a dark-blue shirt, with red swirls on the sides of each sleeve, beneath his jonin flak jacket and had dark blue finger-less gloves with metal plates stitched on top. He wore dark blue (man likes his dark blues) ninja-pants with bandages wrapped around his mid-calves going down ending in blue ninja-sandals. Strapped around his right thigh was his kunai-holster while his shuriken holster was strapped on his back to the bandages wrapped around his waist.

This man was the jonin-sensei of cell-7 or Team Kakashi, Kakashi Hatake. He was once a former member and captain in the ANBU Black Ops of the Hidden Leaf. Now he was the jonin-sensei of Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki.

Currently his third student was supporting himself against his sensei's side.

Naruto Uzumaki was a boy many would consider hyperactive, the fact being that he wore orange a lot, signifying his need and craving for attention. Though now there was dirty, leaves and twigs marring the clothing he wore, while a hole the size of a fist was in both the front and back.

His hair was as usual bright and yellow as the very sun in the sky itself was, but right now it flopped down slightly, like a wounded dog's ear would. His normally bright blue eyes were now an uncharacteristic dull blue, as if he had died somewhat, be it the inside or outside. Even the bright smile he always wore or the energetic look in his face was gone and instead replaced with a somber look.

If one were to look closely enough, they would have notice Naruto had grown from one hundred forty-five cm (four feet, eight inches) to one hundred fifty centimeters (five feet tall).

If anyone who said that they truely knew Naruto saw him, they would do a double take and wonder who this person was and what they had done with Naruto.

At the West Gate of the Hidden Leaf the chunin guards stationed there stopped the three of them. The ones on guard duty this afternoon were the 'Immortal Chunin' Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane.

Izumo and Kotetsu were both known by the title because they were the only two to have stayed chunin for the longest time and not even participate in any promotion exams to achieve jonin rank. One would not know whether it was of their lack of strength or just plain laziness that made them want to stay as they were.

Izumo was a normal looking chunin in all wear: ninja-pants, sandals, shirt, and flak jacket. But had the metal with the Hidden Leaf symbol stitched to a bandana instead of a forehead-protector. His regulation shirt though extended to his chin and stopped short there. His brown hair that always fell over his right eye was also a distinguishing trait of his.

Kotetsu was just as unique a man when it came to facial appearance as Izumo. He had spiky black hair that extended further than Naruto's did, but instead of bursting out in all directions; it was less spiky at the top while more spikes were at the base and sides of his hair. Over the bridge of his nose was a bandage that wrapped around his head to the back. On his chin was a dark blue marking of some shape or form. His forehead-protector was of standard regulation and like his fellow guard he wore the standard chunin gear.

"Halt!" Izumo shouted as he slowly approached the three ninjas. When he saw who it was, and how wounded Naruto was, he rounded towards the gates and shouted, "OPEN THE GATES! WE GOT A WOUNDED NINJA THAT NEEDS IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION!"

Kotetsu had responded immediately and pulled down the level to the side of the gate. Gears began whirring and clanking as the tumbled against one another. Suddenly the giant gates of the West Gate began disappearing into the massive wall that surrounded the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Standing directly behind the gates was a group of medic-nin led by Tsunade Senju, the Fifth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf, who immediately rushed past the gates as soon as their way was unbarred towards Naruto, Kakashi and Shikamaru.

The Fifth Hokage was both the granddaughter and grandniece of the First and Second Hokages, respectively and thus a Senju. She was the last of the Senjus and had already passed the motherhood stage, thus causing her to be the last of one of the founding clans of the Hidden Leaf, as far as she knew. She was, of course, a woman of fifty-one years, though with the genjutsu, and a powerful one at that, she only appeared to be a young woman.

Like Naruto and his father, she had blonde hair, with tow blonde bangs framing her heart shaped face, but tied into to two ponytails behind her head. Though unlike her son and grandson, she did not have the sky blue eyes. Instead she had amber brown eyes, eyes that had seen many a death of a loved one. And on her forehead was a blue diamond shaped object that she used to speed up cell division in he body, healing any major or life threatening injury, in exchange for giving up some of her life force for. The technique was called Creation Rebirth and only she had secrets to it and would mostly take them to her grave.

The most noticeable thing about her was her breast size though. Many a man had fantasized about her Valley of the Goddesses and touching the pieces of heaven. Many a man had paid their life for touching her like that. The only two who were allowed were either dead from war, or peeking on other women and writing smut. The latter of the two truely treasured the time he had spent in her bosom.

Anyway, currently she was garbed in a gray colored kimono top that was a few sizes too small to accommodate her rather large bust, tied around her waist with a blue obi sash. Over it she wore a green coat with black trimming on the edge of it, and on the back of her coat was a very large kanji for 'Gamble' in black surrounded by a red circle. She also wore, and you guessed it, dark blue pants that fell down just a little past her knees. On her feet were brown high-heeled sandals.

When Tsunade had taken Naruto from Kakashi's care and into her arms, she immediately scowled. "What in the hell did you do Naruto?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"It's nothing Granny." Naruto chuckled at Tsunade's disgruntled expression. "I'll live through this okay?"

Tsunade listened to his words, but still decided check Naruto's wounds over. A few small wounds on his arms and legs were of little or no concern, because they had already healed by the time Naruto had reached the Hidden Leaf. Bruises and such had already appeared to be fully healed by now, the coloration returning to only a light red. What Tsunade worried about the most was the wound in Naruto's chest.

Though it was already healing, it seemed that Naruto's regenerative abilites were not kicking in completely yet. Though she noticed that the wound had reduced from its original size, if comparing the wound to his clothing meant anything, it was still taking time to fully heal it.

"I'm taking you to the hospital Naruto. You still need to rest," she said sternly to Naruto.

"What? No! I hate hospitals! The rooms are too bland, ceiling is boring to stare at, and there's nothing to do in there. And the televisions in all of the rooms only run old peoples' shows! What I hate the most though, is the bland, tasteless food there!" Naruto gripped as he squirmed in her arms.

Tsunade's left eye twitched when she heard the little brat complain about _her _hospital. She would have strangled him, or flicked him in the forehead, sending him flying forty meters. Right now though, her medic training was kicking and thus saved, and doomed, Naruto's fate.

She quickly snapped her fingers and immediately a syringe was placed in her open palm. The syringe even had an extra pointy tip.

Naruto gulped the second his eyes landed on the medical tool.

"Are you going to be quite Naruto or am I going to have to knock you out?" she growled out threateningly. At Naruto's shake of the head she smirked. "Tough." With that she plugged the syringe into Naruto's arm and pulled the trigger. The effects took a few seconds before Naruto's head began to bob back and forth in her arms, before he slumped fast asleep.

She smirked and turned to Kakashi and Shikamaru and addressed them. "If either of you are injured, you'll have to come with us."

Kakashi shrugged. "I haven't been in any recent fights so I'm exempt," he explained. "But I'm coming with you anyway, I want to be there for my student when he wakes up."

"You haven't been there for him as a sensei at all, Kakashi," Tsunade growled. "Why would he want you to be there for him when he wakes up anyway?"

The silver haired man sighed and turned his head towards the heavens. After a while he spoke words that startled both Shikamaru and Tsunade.

"He never wanted me to teach him how to become stronger. He's not the loudmouth idiot everyone sees him as. He wants me there," he lowered his head and gazed into his Hokage's amber eyes, "because he sees me as his brother. Why wouldn't a brother be there for him?"

Tsunade smiled softly and nodded. "Very well then Kakashi. You may come with us." She then turned to Shikamaru and raised an eyebrow, as if waiting for him to say something.

Shikamaru was currently mulling over the words he had just heard leave the lips of Naruto's jonin-sensei. So, he wasn't as weak as everyone else thought? He had held himself back apparently when it came to fighting the other rookie genin from his class. And apparently he was strong enough to refuse the tutelage and guidance of Kakashi Hatake, Kakashi of the Sharingan? How strong would he have to be to refuse his help? His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a loud, irritated cough coming from the Lady Hokage.

"Are you hurt?" she asked, tapping her foot slightly.

"I only have a broken pinky, if that's what you're talking about," he stated in his obviously bored tone.

'This kid gets into fights with near jonin level ninja and while everyone else ends up severely or gravely wounded, he comes out with a broken finger? How in the hell is that possible?' Tsunade ranted to herself as her left eye twitched.

"You'll be... attended to by one of the nurses," she explained.

The Nara heir shrugged.

"Whatever you say." was his eloquent response to Tsunade's invitation to the hospital. The Fifth's left eye twitched once more before she and the other medics turned their backs to Kakashi and Shikamaru and broke away running toward the Hidden Leaf General Hospital. The jonin-sensei and chunin were trailing slightly behind them, running at their own respective paces.

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><p>'<em><strong>Though a promise was not kept<br>**__**It does not mean the promise was broken  
><strong>__**Though not between two lovers  
><strong>__**It was between a brother and a sister  
><strong>__**One, so he could see her happy  
><strong>__**The other, so she could see him smile again'**_

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><p>First came touch; the feel of soft fabric and a fluffy mattress welcomed his conscious touch. Next came his hearing; the whirring of fans above him and the buzzing of light-fixtures created the ambient background sounds. Finally came his sense of smell and sight returned to him; a sterile smell of cleaning supplies and cleansing alcohol along with the white walls and ceiling flooded his olfactory and vision sense. He was in the place he told Tsunade he didn't want to go to.<p>

Hidden Leaf General Hospital was its name.

"Ah! Naruto, you're awake!" a voice familiar to him shouted to his left.

Naruto turned his head left and looked eyes with worried emerald green eyes. He sighed sadly at seeing such an expression in her eyes.

The girl was currently wearing civilian clothing, consisting of a blue skirt that reached down to her knees, and an elbow length white kimono top tied with a pink obi sash around her waist. Her unique bubble-gum pink hair was pulled up into a bun with several strands free, the few loose seeming to frame her face.

Her name was Sakura Haruno, genin of the Hidden Leaf Village, student of jonin Kakashi Hatake and teammates of Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki.

"Hey Sakura-chan," he greeted in a tired voice.

Sakura became even more worried for Naruto. Usually he was a bright ball of energy and in such high spirits. He would always greet her, no matter how hurt he was, with such enthusiasm, that she sometimes questioned why she went after the Uchiha instead of the rock who supported her. His voice was heavy laced, as if he had walked a thousand years and seen a million lives go by. This wasn't the Naruto she was used to seeing.

She wanted to see the boy Naruto once was.

If only she knew her words were too late.

"Naruto... I'm sorry. I should have," she swallowed hard and tried to fight back tears she knew were going to fall.

Naruto had given his all for her, trying to save her crush and his best friend...No, brother and bring him back. And he failed to do that, and here he was in the hospital after having suffered a wound from one of Sasuke's attacks.

It was all her fault. She was so selfish; that she didn't realize that she was pushing away the only person who ever saw any worth in her. She didn't realize that she was breaking his heart and crushing it by making him, a boy with undying loyalty and love for her, go and retrieve a boy she thought she knew and thought she had a crush on.

"Naruto... I should have never have asked you... to go after Sasuke and save him. I should have," she sniffled loudly and wiped her eyes, "I should have never have done this to you! I'm so sorry Naruto! Please just give up on saving Sasuke!" She had already began to bawl her eyes out when she said she never should have asked for him to do such a selfless thing for her selfish gains. By the end of it she was leaning her head on Naruto's hospital bed crying endless tears.

Naruto sighed while she cried her woes away, gently rubbing her back. He pulled himself up into a sitting position then pulled her up into his bed and held her, and wasn't surprised when she latched onto him for dear life, burying her face into his shoulder crying even harder now. He exhaled sharply and began rocking her back and forth, whispering promises, sweet-nothings, and words of reassurance all the while rubbing and patting er back gently.

Sakura was in a daze of confusion all the while being held by Naruto. Usually whenever she was sad or at least a little down, Naruto would boast obnoxiously that he would do whatever was in his power to see his, 'Sakura-chan,' happy once more. This Naruto was completely different. He didn't brood over the fact he didn't get Sasuke back; he didn't have a depressing mood because of the fact he failed to keep his promise to her; he also didn't seem to want to jump the situation where Sasuke was out of the picture, at least not yet. But she could most likely tell that this Naruto probably wouldn't.

The blonde jinchūriki stopped rocking Sakura back and forth when he realized that she was no longer crying. He pushed her off himself and held her shoulders at arms' length from himself and stared into her emerald eyes. "Better?" he asked with a small smile.

"Ye-yeah," she responded tentatively. "I'm fine," she nodded her head at Naruto and smiled, "Thanks for that."

"No problem Sakura," Naruto mirthfully chuckled. "I'll be there for you whenever you are down, picking you back up, dusting you off and leading you back onto your path. Why do you think I was always tried to ask you out whenever you were turned down, or when you were about to ask out Sasuke?" He chuckled once more when he saw the startled and mortified look on Sakura's face. "It's because you had such small self-confidence and worth, that I had to be there to always hold you up. I never wanted to see you cry because of love."

"Why would you want to help me out, when I was destroying your heart little by little, each and every time I hit, berated and talked down upon you? Why did you do that for me?" she asked in a small whisper, her eyes cast down and her hair shadowing her face.

The son of the Fourth Hokage sighed, and gently pulled Sakura's chin up with the edge of his fingers until her eyes were leveled with his. He stared into her emerald green eyes, while she stared back into his sky blue eyes.

"Why wouldn't I want to see you happy? If I didn't, I wouldn't be a good big brother, now would I?" he asked mirthfully. At her somewhat depressed look, he sighed. He knew this was coming. Give someone enough kindness and they may not know the border between pseudo-siblings and lovers. "Sakura I love you, but just not in that sense. I want to give you the whole world, because I want to see _you _happy. I don't expect anything in return because of it, besides the smile always gracing your lips," he explained, lowering his hand away from her face.

Sakura smiled a little bit when she heard this and hugged him for a few seconds before releasing him. Even though she was blushing slightly she somewhat understood what her friend, no, brother meant.

"I love you because you are a special person to me. I want to see you happy. I don't want you to use me as a substitute for the boy you had a crush on. I love you, but just not how you want to love me now. Besides, your heart is still recovering from heartache, what you need are parents, siblings and friends to comfort you, not a new person to crush on," he shrugged and smiled wistfully. "Why do you think I promised to bring Sasuke back?"

"I don't know, Naruto. Why did you promise to bring him back, even after he had forsaken everything?"

"Because he broke my little sister's heart and so I was thinking of breaking every bone in his body, dragging him back here and making him apologize for hurting your heart." Naruto and Sakura shared a laugh when the thought up the funny little idea Naruto had, well Sakura more than Naruto anyway.

"I thought you were going after him because he was your best friend Naruto," an older masculine voice said, coming from the direction of the window.

Naruto and Sakura turned their heads to the window and gazed upon Naruto's grandfather, Jiraiya.

Jiraiya was a tall man at 192 cm (six feet, three inches tall) with waist-length, spiky white hair. As usual he had it tied back into a ponytail, while he had two shoulder length white bangs framed his face. On his face were two red lines, one trailing from each eye down. His face would be one would associate with kabuki theatre. On his forehead was a metal forehead-protector with horns and the kanji for the word 'Oil', denoting his affiliation with Mount Myōboku, the realm of his summons: the Toads. Over his clothing he wore a red cloak that fell to his waist, while two simple yellow circles, one on each flap, adorned the clothing. Tied to his back with by a large sash was a scroll the size of the Forbidden Scroll of the Hidden Leaf. The scroll was the Toad-summoning contract.

His current attire was a short sleeved green kimono top and matching green pants that fell a little past his knees, with a black obi sash tied around the waist. Under his clothing he wore mesh armor that extended past his pants and kimono sleeves, while some of the mesh shirt was up past the neckline of his shirt, stopping at the base of his throat. On his hands were hand-guards that covered the back of his palms. On his feet were traditional Japanese geta, or wooden sandals.

While usually in a perverted or 'pervy' attitude, Jiraiya was awfully grim faced right now; his lips were drawn into a thin line and a light scowl was on his face.

"He is my best friend. But the reason why I want to save him is because he shouldn't have to walk down a path of darkness with so little of the world pressed against his back. I'm surprised I didn't go with him, I have all the more reason to," he chuckled hollowly, not noticing the uncomfortable look from Sakura and the frown on Jiraiya's face. "But I won't ever forget who I am, and who's living legacy I am."

"You know there's a door, right Jiraiya?" an equally old, feminine voice said from the doorway. All two-and-a-half occupants of the room, Jiraiya was halfway in the room and half out the window, turned their heads to the doorway. In the doorway were the Hokage herself, Lady Tsunade and Sakura and Naruto's jonin-sensei Kakashi Hatake.

Jiraiya shrugged nonchalantly. "And? I'm a ninja Princess Tsunade; I don't use doors like normal people."

"You definitely aren't, that's for sure."

"I'll act like I didn't hear that," the Toad Sage pouted.

"And I'll act like you're not there." The Hokage smirked at Jiraiya's gob-smacked look and turned to Naruto. "You know I could count those as words of treason Naruto," she said seriously, crossing her arms under her chest.

Naruto waved his hand lazily and spoke in even lazier tone, "My, my, Granny Tsunade. Those were all hypothetical actions that I could, but did not, take. Besides," he smirked crossing his arms over his chest, "I would have abandoned this village long before and you know it."

Tsunade, Jiraiya and Kakashi all had ashamed looks on their faces when Naruto said that. He truely could have betrayed them all and released the very thing his father and mother sacrificed their lives to seal away to seek vengeance against them all, and he would be justified. But instead he had chosen to follow the path of the Hokage, the strongest ninja of the Village and person most willing to sacrifice him or herself for the further existence of the Village.

How they wished to change the views of the people and make them see him as the hero his parents wanted him to be.

Sakura meanwhile, still sitting on Naruto's bed and slowly inching closer beside him without realizing it, was wondering what Naruto had meant when he had the right to betray the whole of the village and what he meant when he said Sasuke's burden was not as heavy as his. What could give Naruto more of a right to betray the Hidden Leaf? What burden was heavier than the death of one's family? Was Naruto really the bright bubbly person she and everyone else knew him as truely real?

She turned her head slightly and gazed at Naruto from the corner of her eye. Was all his boasting and showboating all a lie? Was that smile of his real, or fake? Did he really have such a heavy burdens that he wanted everyone else happy, even if it crushed him in the end? Sakura's mind began to reevaluate everything she thought she knew about her blonde teammate. Her mind then came up with collaborating with the other Rookie Nine + Team Gai to understand and solve who Naruto truely was.

The path of thought she focused on would shape the views of her generation while dividing the older and younger generations from one another. If only she knew that Naruto was part of an even bigger, more complex puzzle, that no one could return from.

"Naruto... I'm sorry. I should have been here when you guys set out to retrieve Sasuke. Then maybe I..." Jiraiya offered.

Naruto just shook his head sadly. "It's alright Jiraiya. This was something I had to confront alone. No one else could have done this. This is my burden and my burden alone."

Tsunade scowled when Naruto spoke those words. "Naruto, Sasuke is in Orochimaru's hands now. You'd have to go through the whole force of the Hidden Sound's ninja, Kabuto and Orochimaru himself just to rescue him. Even then Sasuke probably wouldn't want anything to do with the Leaf. That is why... as your Hokage Naruto, I am ordering you to not participate in any mission that involves Sasuke or Orochimaru. I am also forbidding you to go on any rescue attempts to save Sasuke." Lady Tsunade had put her foot down.

She was Hokage and her word was law, to defy the word of the Hokage is treason.

"Hell no." Then again, Naruto had total disregard when it came to the law of the Hokage or any regulations or rules in any government setting. Tsunade glared down at her surrogate grandson/son. "I'm going to save him." The blonde jinchūriki leveled his eyes with Tsunade's glaring amber eyes. "No one's going to stop me from doing that. Not even the Hokages of the past, you, Kakashi-sensei or Jiraiya will stop me from fulfilling my promise to my sister." His eyes turned a frosty arctic blue and continued to glare at the Hokage.

Tsunade continued to glare at Naruto's sky blue eyes before she caved. The brat could keep a promise that was for sure. Even if he could not deliver results immediately, which was something he took great pride in, he would always come through for in the end. She just hoped that Naruto would be able to do so without killing himself and hurting those who cared for him.

Why did she even give him that deep-cover mission to begin with? What was she thinking? She should have known Naruto would do whatever it takes to get Sasuke back.

She just hoped the faith she placed in the two friends would help them out in the end.

Tsunade sighed and nodded to Naruto. "I'm holding that to you then Naruto. If you get yourself killed, I'm bringing you back to life and killing you all over again, you got that?" she threatened menacingly, a demon mask appearing behind her head, with a dark backdrop effect.

Naruto swallowed hard and one could hear the 'Gulp!' when his Sage's Apple dropped. "Al-alright Granny Tsunade," Naruto chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. Tsunade nodded her head sharply with a smug smirk on her face.

After a while, a calm silence fell over the five occupants of the hospital room. All of the three older ninjas were stewing in their own thoughts about different things, some ranging from not being a good enough teacher (Kakashi), not being there when Naruto really needed it (Tsunade), or not stopping this whole mess from happening (Jiraiya and surprisingly Tsunade).

The two younger teens, the one shinobi and kunoichi were pretty much in their own worlds as well.

For Naruto, he was thinking about all the reasons he could have betrayed the Hidden Leaf yet didn't. All of the glares, sneers and mobs would have made any other less man want to end all the suffering, but he was different. Sure, even though he was as close as could be with the Rookie Nine and Team Gai, but he was distant at the same time, hiding behind a mask.

He didn't like hiding his true self from everyone else, it wasn't that he was trying to hide anything, far from it; he just didn't want others worrying about him. He had heavier burdens than anyone did in the Hidden Leaf, even the Hokage. He had stood alone and aloof from everyone else for eight years, hiding behind a mask. Naruto had put on a smile not for himself, but for everyone else. He purposely made himself the center of attention to relieve the woes of the Village.

If he truely anyone else, he would have given up. But he wasn't anyone else; he was Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze! He was the son of the Fourth Hokage and the last royal Uzumaki of the Hidden Whirlpool; he was the descendant of the First, Second and Fifth Hokages and he was the grandson of two of the Legendary Three Ninjas of the Hidden Leaf! If he gave up, he would have not only betrayed his own ninja way, but have besmirched the honor and legacy of his family.

He hadn't given up on changing the Village's view of him yet, and he was most certainly not going to give up on trying to save the closest thing he had to a brother besides Kakashi.

Those determined thoughts raced through his mind as he gazed at the girl sitting only a few centimeters beside him. He chuckled at the fierce and determined half-pout, half-scowl on her face. Naruto had some idea of what was racing through her idea; he had seen Shikamaru with an almost similar scowl on their way back to the Hidden Leaf and knew he was most likely trying to solve something. Most likely that something was personality he had exposed to the world.

"Hey Granny Tsunade," Naruto spoke up, breaking everyone from the musings going on in their heads, "Temari brought in a redheaded girl earlier, right?" Tsunade nodded an affirmative. "Is she safe?"

"You know Naruto I was tempted to not treat her at all, seeing as she is one of the four ninjas responsible for Sasuke's escape." She sighed when she caught the glare leveled at her courtesy of Naruto. "But since she is in some way involved with you, I treated her with the best of my ability."

She crossed her arms under her chest once more and leaned against the wall opposite of Naruto. "She will be interrogated though Naruto. Her punishment will be in accordance to how well she responds to our questioning."

"Let me be there when the interrogations happen," Naruto offered, stunning the three older occupants. "She'll talk if I'm there with her."

The Fifth Hokage was tempted not to go along with Naruto's far-left field idea, but she knew better than to take anything for face value when it came to Naruto. The moment he is involved in anything, he pretty much controls the field and has the advantage over everyone else. And either one way or another, Naruto would always get the last laugh. She was surprised the boy didn't want to be a strategist for the Hidden Leaf.

"Very well then. Permission granted to genin Naruto Uzumaki to attend the interrogation of Tayuya of the Sound Four five days from now." Tsunade turned to Kakashi. "Kakashi, run to the Hokage Tower and pull up the proper forms for this." Tsunade dreaded the paperwork she works on with a passion. And now she gave herself even more, and it was all thanks to Naruto.

Kakashi nodded and used the Body Flicker Jutsu and teleported to the Hokage Tower, leaving a few leaves floating behind in the room.

Naruto turned his head to his grandfather and stared at him, unnerving the older man somewhat.

"What?" Jiraiya asked after a while.

"Why you here again Pervy-Sage?" Jiraiya face-vaulted and hit the ground, his legs twitching in the air. He jumped back upright and pointed at Naruto.

"Don't call me that brat! I am the Great-"

"I know, I know." The blonde jinchūriki replied, waving his hand lazily. "But seriously, why are you here?"

Jiraiya turned serious once more and leaned against the wall near the open window. "Naruto, I'm taking you on a three year training trip with me," he said surprising Tsunade and Sakura.

Tsunade gaped for the fact that both Naruto and Jiraiya were leaving the Village for that long. She would have died of boredom without Naruto around! But seriously, she didn't want them leaving because she feared something might happen to both Jiraiya and Naruto and she wouldn't be able to see either of them anymore.

Sakura's mind was whirring as well. How could Naruto just up and leave, just when he got back? How could he leave her, when she had already lost one of her teammates? Would her friends forever leave her behind? She didn't want any of that happening at all.

"When do we leave?" Naruto asked, surprising Sakura. She couldn't take losing him and snapped like a rubber band.

"Please don't go! Please don't leave me behind Naruto!" the pinkette shouted as she embraced him, not wanting to let go fearing he may really disappear. "I just lost Sasuke! I don't want to lose you too!" she cried out loud, burying her face in his shoulder once more.

Naruto sighed and hugged her body to his self and patted and rubbed her back. "Sakura, I'm sorry, but I have to go. I can't get stronger just staying here and training all the time. I need the experience to become stronger."

"Then stay! We could go on missions together with the other Rookie Teams and-"

"Sakura!" Naruto shouted, pushing her away and holding her at arm length. "Sakura listen to me! I have to do this I can't just stay here and wait while Sasuke and Orochimaru become stronger! I have to leave this place behind and follow Jiraiya so I become stronger!"

"But you and everyone else are leaving me behind! I'm not from a ninja clan! I don't have any ties with any of the Hokages! I can't become strong like you and everyone else! I'm just going to left behind again by all my friends and I don't want that!"

"Sakura!" Naruto roared. "What happened to the strong-willed girl I see as my sister? What happened to that fiery will within you that burned so brightly before? This isn't you! You're not the crybaby that falls behind everyone else! You are Sakura Haruno! If you don't want to be left behind, then stand on your own two feet, become stronger and catch up to us! I know you can!"

At the end of his pep talk Sakura had already cleared away her tears and had taken his words to heart. She nodded to Naruto, who chuckled in earnest, smiled and scratched the back of his head and got off his bed and approached Tsunade.

The Fifth Hokage knew what to expect from Sakura when she heard the pep talk Naruto gave her. She was surprised to see a strong fire burn fiercely within the young girl's eyes; one that she had only seen in Dan, Nawaki, Jiraiya and Naruto's eyes when they had their beliefs pushed to the test.

Sakura stopped before the female Hokage, bowed and in a strong confident voice said, "Please take me as your apprentice Lady Tsunade!"

Tsunade stared at the pinkette before her, deliberating in her mind what she should do with the girl before nodding to herself.

"Sakura Haruno," she said with authority, noting the stiffened posture of the girl, "I, Tsunade Senju, the Fifth Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves accept you as my apprentice! Now rise!"

Sakura immediately snapped up and had a bright smile on her face. She turned to Naruto and gave a peace sign, and received a thumbs up and toothy grin, before turning back to her new master and thanking her profusely.

Jiraiya and Naruto both had their arms crossed and small smirks adorning their lips. They met each other's eyes and smirked more broadly.

"I think you and your teammates are going to take our place as the Next Generation of the Legendary Three Ninjas of the Hidden Leaf Village," Jiraiya chuckled.

"Not until I become a full-fledged Sage like you promised gramps," Naruto retorted. "And not until Sakura, Sasuke and I are all back as one team again."

"We'll see. We'll see," Jiraiya chuckled. "We leave in a week Naruto. By that time I want you to have already conducted all your business and farewells. We'll meet at the East Gate at 6:35 a.m. and head towards the Land of Lightning, and then towards the Village Hidden in the Clouds."

Naruto nodded before climbing out of his bed and doing five squats. When he was done, he looked at Tsunade and asked, "Can I visit Tayuya?"

"Room 473," the female Hokage sighed. Naruto nodded and headed towards the door. "Just don't cause too much of a commotion would you Naruto?" she asked the blonde as he walked through the threshold.

"No promises on that Granny!" was Naruto's reply, echoing down the hallway towards his ward. Tsunade's eye twitched as well as Sakura's before the pinkette burst into a fit of giggles. Her master glared a little at her before following shortly there after. Neither noticed that the Toad Sage had already slipped out of the room via window.

* * *

><p>'<em><strong>The girl who once doubted her own self<br>**__**Is reassured by her brother  
><strong>__**The brother returns to visit his love  
><strong>__**Before his time is gone  
><strong>__**And his journey to save the world begins anew.'**_

* * *

><p>Naruto stared at Hitomi's resting face and smiled softly as he caressed her cheek with his palm. In the background, he could hear the beeping of the I.V. as it monitored the redhead's heartbeat.<p>

A small smile graced Naruto's lips when Hitomi rolled over on her side and snuggled her face into his hand with a content smile on her face.

"You're awake aren't you?" Naruto asked suddenly. A small pout graced Hitomi's lips when she heard that.

"Ngh," she grunted. "Stay like that, I want to sleep a little longer Naruto-kun."

"You're okay... right?" the blonde asked tentatively.

"Mmm. I'm okay. Lady Tsunade was kind enough to heal my injuries." She sighed and blew warm air over Naruto's open palm. "My injuries are fine, but what about yours?"

"I'm fine Hitomi-chan," he smiled. "I was already healing the moment I made the trek back here with Kakashi and Shikamaru."

Hitomi bit her lip and rolled over onto her other side. "It's because of the Nine-Tailed Fox, isn't it Naruto?"

The blonde jinchūriki stiffened and in a low voice asked, "How did you know?"

"I'm one of Orochimaru's adjutants you moron!" Hitomi shouted, whirling around to glare at the blonde boy. "How could you have not told me when we were kids! I trusted you!" she shouted, tears nearly breaking out of her eyes.

"I-I didn't want to push you away. I didn't want you to fear me because of the demon sealed within me. I didn't want you to hate me, and I didn't want to lose the love and trust we had." He didn't blink, cringe, flinch, or move when Hitomi's hand impacted his check, leaving a pulsing red handprint.

"How it the hell could you say that shit! I wouldn't be pushed away by that stupid ass burden of yours! I wouldn't hate you at all for that Kami-damned beast at all! You're the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox not the Nine-Tails itself! Who do you take me for, one of those idiotic civilians in this Village? I am Hitomi Harusuki! I'm your childhood friend of two years!" She grabbed Naruto's collar and pulled him face to face with her. "I will never abandon you, you stupid moron! Remember that!" Faster than Naruto could react, Hitomi had thrown her arms around Naruto, and smashed her lips against his.

Naruto eyes widened for a second before they closed, his lips returning the enthusiasm and passion. He pulled himself onto her bed and wrapped his arms around her midsection and pulled her flush against himself. After a few minutes the redhead and blonde relinquished each other's lips and moved a few centimeters away from each other.

"I can be a real dumbass prick sometimes, huh?" the blonde said as he rested his forehead against the redheads.

"But you still have some redeeming qualities Naruto-kun," Hitomi joked. "But you need to keep being the fun loving blonde ball of energy I know you as. You don't do emo good at all."

Naruto swallowed hard and sighed. Hitomi knew her blonde childhood friend had something to say. And it was most likely something hard for him to say to her.

"What is it Naruto-kun?" Hitomi asked after a while. Naruto exhaled once more and gathered his courage.

"I'm leaving in a week," were those dreaded words that left his lips. Hitomi was stunned into silence and lowered her eyes away from Naruto's sky blue ones.

"How long?" she asked after a few seconds of silence.

"Three years, Hitomi-chan. Three long years I'll be gone from here."

For minutes the two sat in silence, neither one wanting to talk as to break the silence that fell over them. Both Naruto and Hitomi stared at one another, not caring that their days with one another were numbered.

"Just... spend the time you have left with me... alright?" she asked apprehensively, breaking the silence around herself and the blonde.

Naruto nodded once more. "I'll stay here as long as you need Hitomi-chan," he whispered as he pulled Hitomi's lips to his once more.

Nearly five hours later at 11:30 p.m. Tsunade and her assistant Shizune walked into room 473 where Tayuya was resting and came across the site of Naruto in his hospital gown in Tayuya's bed, with said redhead's face snuggled into his chest, his arms wrapped protectively around her midsection.

"Brat," Tsunade whispered as she pulled the bed covers over the both the thirteen-year-old and the fourteen-year-old. "Let's leave them be Shizune," she addressed her assistant. "They both have a bumpy next few years ahead of them." She walked over to the doorway with Shizune trailing behind. She stopped and turned her head and gazed at the two sleeping teens. "They need this respite. 'Night you two," she said as she left the room.

Shizune stopped at the door and turned back to the two teen's bed before trotting over to them and kissing both of their foreheads. She smiled warmly before running over to the door and gently closing it behind her retreating form.

* * *

><p>'<em><strong>Times come and go<br>**__**His time will come to begin his journey  
><strong>__**But first, he must finish his farewells'**_

* * *

><p>The week Naruto had left before his journey blew by quicker than he had expected. The interrogation had run smoothly, though their interrogator, one Anko Mitarashi, wasn't so thrilled as they were about it. Anko, for all intents and purposes, had expected Tayuya to put up a fight when it came to giving up the information pertaining to Orochimaru's plans, bases and over all strategies as well as the Hidden Sound's numbers and dossier of over all ninja forces.<p>

What they received from Tayuya was a plethora of intelligence. Though they weren't able to determine Orochimaru's plans and movements, as Tayuya was only given one-fourth the complete information, the rest dead with the other Sound Four members, they were able to determine the size and strength of several of his forces stationed in parts of the Rice Country. They were also able to discover deep-cover ninjas stationed within the borders of Fire Country.

It was most likely due to Tayuya's support by one Naruto Uzumaki. When the Tokubetsu Jonin set her eyes upon his form she had to wonder what happened to the kid to turn him back into the serious person he once was long ago again. But she had shrugged it off and greeted him normally, or as normal as Anko could get.

Afterwards Naruto had spent time with Tayuya in her room holed up there. He was sometimes visited, but it was when the whole Rookie Nine and Team Gai, just the day before he was supposed to leave, did he break the news to them.

Gathered all around Tayuya's room were the remainders of the former Rookie Nine and Team Gai. Over at the bed were both Naruto and Tayuya, the latter sitting in the former's lap. Naruto's eye looked over the whole of his graduating class plus the one-year-older team before he cleared his throat to grab all of their attentions.

"Sakura... did you tell them what's going to happen tomorrow?" the blonde asked his remaining teammate.

Sakura had a thoughtful look on her face before shaking her head. "No. I haven't told them about it Naruto. I was hoping you were going to tell them."

Naruto nodded his head. "Thanks." He once more looked over the group gathered in Tayuya's room before sighing. "Everyone... I'm leaving tomorrow for a three year long trip with Jiraiya."

"What? Dude you're leaving"

"What a drag."

"You're leaving us behind?"

"But you just got back here again Naruto!"

"N-Naruto-kun."

"So this is your fate Naruto? To leave us here in the Leaf?"

Those words and others were the responses from all the genin, minus Sakura, and one chunin, within the room. Within minutes, questions and pleas to stay behind here in the Leaf bombarded Naruto.

"GUYS!" Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs, shutting up everyone within the room, save for Sakura and Tayuya. "I know this is a surprise to all of you but I have to do this. I need to be on the move for a while to become stronger. I can't stay here with you guys." He raised his hand and stopped everyone from opening either his or her mouth. "I'll be back alright," he chuckled. "It's just three years guys. Even if it's twenty years, I'll come back here. I won't abandon any of my friends."

Over the next two hours questions and answers bounced back and forth in the room. While tempers rose and fell, some feelings were crushed; the entire Rookie Nine, minus Team Kakashi of course, and Team Gai accepted the fact that Naruto was going to be gone for three years. When the clock on the wall struck 11:30 p.m. the Rookie Nine and Team Gai said their farewells to Naruto and Tayuya.

When Sakura was about to leave, she was stopped by Naruto's voice. "Yes nii-chan?" she asked, addressing Naruto like the sister he saw her as.

"Sakura... please... watch over Hitomi for me." Sakura cocked her head to left and looked at Naruto strangely.

"Who's Hitomi Naruto-nii?"

Naruto slapped his face in response to Sakura's question. "Right," he said, a somewhat red handprint pulsing on his face. "I forgot that no one knows her real name."

"Who?" Sakura asked, completely confused by her older brother's ramblings.

"Hitomi," he said, motioning to the waving redhead, "this is Sakura," this time motioning to the pinkette. "Sakura, this is Hitomi Harusuki, my childhood friend of two years who I just got back."

"Hi there," Hitomi greeted the pinkette. "The name's Hitomi, Hitomi Harusuki as Naruto-kun here said."

"I thought your name was Tayuya?" the pinkette asked, now completely confused about the whole situation.

"I was given that name by Orochimaru," she said quietly, stunning both Naruto and Sakura.

"Oh. I'm sorry," Sakura quickly squeaked out, mortified about what she had just said. "I didn't mean to ask, it just slipped."

Hitomi just shook her head and smiled a bit. "It's alright. No harm done. You don't need to apologize. I hate it when people apologize for something they never meant."

"Ah! Thank you, Hitomi," the female member of Team Kakashi said, as a small smile graced her lips. She turned to Naruto and nodded. "You can count on me Naruto-nii!" She ran over to the bed both were sitting on and hugged both Naruto and Hitomi at the same time. "I'll see you guys tomorrow morning!" she shouted as she left the room.

" 'Naruto-nii' huh?" Hitomi teased after a few seconds. "I thought you were an only child?"

"Mmm. I am an only child," Naruto confirmed. "But that doesn't mean I can't count those who are close to me as my family members."

"What do you see me as then Naruto-kun?" Hitomi asked as she leaned against Naruto's side. "A sister, a friend, a childhood friend? What do you see me as?"

Naruto smirked before turning and pulling Hitomi up to his level. "I see you as the girl I'll be spending the rest of my life with." With that said, the blonde captured his redhead's lips with his own. After a minute of the lip-lock Naruto and Hitomi disconnected from one another and rested their foreheads against one another's.

"Good answer my Naruto-kun," Hitomi said in a husky voice.

"I live to please you and only you my Hitomi-chan." He placed a chaste kiss on his childhood friend's lips before getting up off of her bed. " 'Night, Hitomi-chan," he said as he tucked her in to bed.

" 'Night Naruto-kun. You'll be there at the gate in the morning, right?" she asked the blonde when he stopped at the doorway.

Naruto smirked once more before looking at the former female member of the Sound Four over his shoulder. "Believe it!" he said in a cheesy voice as he left the room.

"Idiot," the redhead mumbled as she fell asleep in her hospital bed.

* * *

><p>'<em><strong>The day one leaves our lives is always sad<br>**__**Even when we know they will return  
><strong>__**Tears will always be shed when they leave  
><strong>__**On both our side and theirs'**_

* * *

><p><em><em>Dawn, when the sun is just about to reach over the horizon. The sun always spills forth a myriad of colors when it begins our day and when it sets down for twilight, to end the light of our day. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet were just some of the colors that the star of their solar system released into their atmosphere.

High above in the sky clouds rolled by leisurely and aimlessly, not caring where the winds took them. A chilled wind from the North blew every so often, causing people to hold their bodies just a little closer to themselves. It was almost the end of summer and the beginning of autumn for their world.

For many, this time, 6:35 a.m., was when people arose from their beds to open shop. For some, it was the time when their jobs as stall salesmen, weapons forging smiths, grocery managers, clothing shop employees, and wide range of other occupations had already just begun for that day. For the ninjas of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, their jobs were either ending, beginning, or not even off the ground, depending on what mission, assignments, and details they needed to do.

Over at the East Gate of the Hidden Leaf Village, though, stood eighteen figures, two of which stood before the rest of the mass.

"I guess this is it, huh?" the shorter of the two figures asked. The figure was that of one Naruto Uzumaki (Namikaze), while the figure beside him was his mentor, godfather and grandfather: Jiraiya.

"So it seems," one of the other taller figures said. Turned out that Tsunade, Tayuya, Shizune, Sakura, Kakashi, Asuma, Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, Kurenai, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Gai, Lee, Neji, and Tenten, all the people in Team Gai and the Rookie Nine plus senseis and the Hokage and her assistant and Naruto's childhood friend, had all come to see him off. Not only that, but not three minutes later at 6:38 a.m. did seven more people join in on seeing off Naruto. They included Iruka, Moegi, Konohamaru, Udon, Mr. Ichiraku, his daughter Ayame, and Anko, though Naruto had no clue as to why the latter person was even here.

"We'll be waiting back here at the Leaf Naruto!" Tayuya shouted with a smile on her face.

"Yeah," Naruto whispered to himself.

"Don't get hurt out there you hear me? Lady Tsunade and I don't want to patch you up every time you go somewhere alright Naruto?" Shizune asked. Naruto just waved his hand lazily.

"I'll take care of Hi- I mean I'll take care of Tayuya-chan for you Naruto! So don't you worry a thing!" Sakura shouted as she hugged Tayuya to her side.

"Don't be a stranger now you here me Naruto? And don't forget to be punctual," Kakashi said in a sage like voice. He crumpled though when Naruto replied, "Like you Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hope to see you again sometime Naruto," Asuma waved.

"What a drag. You're leaving already? Just don't get killed will you? Oh yeah, when you get back, you and are going to watch the clouds and play shougi."

"If you're ever in need of a gift for a certain someone," Ino hinted, "then drop by my family's flower shop, okay? And don't get hurt out there alright?"

"When you get back, let's have an," Choji stopped as he bit into another chip, "eating contest, just the two of us, any food out there."

"I'll hold you to it then Choji!" Naruto laughed.

"Please have a safe trip with Lord Jiraiya Naruto."

"I-I h-hope y-you come b-b-back here ag-gain s-someday N-Naruto."

"Man, you're already leaving! This sucks!" Kiba approached Naruto and slapped him heartily on the back. "Well you're not the only one who's going to get stronger. You better watch yourself, because when you get back, you and I are going to fight for real!"

"I wouldn't expect anything less Kiba!" Naruto then offered his fist and Kiba returned the greeting, creating a small shockwave upon impact.

"See ya man!" the Inuzuka heir said as he returned to his team.

"I hope you will be fine on your trip with Lord Jiraiya Naruto. May we meet again in three years time."

"Naruto! Your Flames of Youth will burn even brighter after your training with Lord Jiraiya! I wish you to fight my star pupil Lee when you return too!"

"Yes! I would too enjoy fighting you Naruto after your Flames of Youth have burned even brighter! We shall see whose hard work is stronger when our fists meet!"

Naruto nodded with a grin and offered up his fist like he did with Kiba, but instead of a small shockwave, a massive shockwave impacted from their fists and the sound resonated all around the group causing some dust to be kicked up. Everyone stared wide-eyed at both Naruto and Lee before shrugging it off, having seen other things before. Everyone the returned back to the topic at hand: saying their farewells for Naruto.

"Well if everyone's lining up for a chance to fight you Naruto, I'm game," the weapons mistress shrugged. "Just make sure when we fight that you have a cool weapon to fight me with!"

"You have no idea," Naruto mumbled.

"As you have taught me before about our fate, I too will believe that this the path you choose, and not the path fate set. I will strive to become a better person and change my families cursed fate," Neji said with a stoic face, yet confident voice. "As such, I would wish to fight you once more when you return, to test the drive behind one another."

"I look forward to it Neji, just remember to loosen up a bit okay?"

"So this is it Naruto? Well you've grown into a fine young shinobi. Just don't forget who helped you climb to the top."

"Of course I won't! If I become Hokage, there's going to be a long speech about all the people who helped me down this road! Believe it!"

"So you're leaving already boss?"

"Hope the trip with Lord Jiraiya is worth it."

"Will you write to us boss?"

"Of course I'll write to you guys Moegi. And don't worry Konohamaru, Udon I'll be fine alright?"

"When you get back, I'll have the first three-hundred bowls on the house and have at least fifteen new flavors by then so you can taste 'em!"

"Dad! Don't use Naruto as your main source of income!" Ayame chided. She then smiled and ran over to Naruto and hugged the shorter boy. "Come back home alright Naruto-kun?"

"Don't worry. I will," Naruto replied as he hugged her back. The ramen waitress nodded before running back to the large group. When it was Anko's turn to say goodbye, Naruto did not expect much to be said from her except not to get killed or come back so she can taste his blood.

When Anko approached him, he expected her to give him a talking about something important. But what he didn't expect was for Anko to kneel down to his level and hug him like someone he remembered. She then pulled back away from Naruto and removed the necklace around her neck and put on around Naruto's neck.

"Hope you'll be back home for supper again with me and Hitomi-chan Naruto-kun," she said in a sisterly voice.

Naruto stared at her owlishly for a good twenty seconds before the sudden realization hit him like a ton of bricks, or snakes, depending on who was hitting him. "Haruka-nee? I-I though you died?" Naruto asked as his eyes widened in shock and realization.

Anko just shook her head and smiled more when Naruto embraced her. "I'll watch over Tayuya okay? Me and Sakura have it handled."

"How did you?"

"Know?" she chuckled. "I'm your big sister Naruto-kun. I'm supposed to know these types of things. If I didn't, then I wouldn't be a good older sister would I?"

"Figures," Naruto said as he rolled his eyes. "I'll see ya in three years Haruka-nee."

"It's Anko-nee alright? Haruka was my cover when I watched over you. Anyway," she then slid his forehead-protector up and kissed his forehead before lowering it. She smiled at his embarrassed expression, before ruffling his hair. "Don't be a stranger and don't forget to eat your balance diet of dango and ramen you hear?" she said before she rejoined the group, but with Sakura and Tayuya.

After all their good-byes were said and done, Naruto looked over all those gathered and lowered his head, his hair masking his eyes. He then looked up at everyone and smiled.

"Everyone, thank you! I won't forget any of you! Hey Jiraiya! Let's go!" he shouted to his mentor before running through the open gate into the sunrise. Jiraiya shook his head, albeit with a smile and turned to Tsunade.

"Don't worry, he's in good hands Princess Tsunade." He nodded to her before running after his apprentice.

"If he turns into a pervert, I'm coming after your sorry ass first Jiraiya!" the Fifth Hokage shouted after the Toad-Summoner.

Everyone shared a laugh before turning and viewing the retreating forms of Jiraiya and Naruto.

"I will return one day," Naruto's voice carried on the wind whispered to Tayuya. "I will return for you again, my love."

"And I'll be here, waiting for you Naruto-kun," she whispered back into the wind.

Nearly half a kilometer away, Naruto smirked to himself and increased his speed.

* * *

><p>'<em><strong>The journey to a new dawn begins<br>**__**What trials and tribulations will come across his path?  
><strong>__**Only the future knows what is to happen  
><strong>__**And only those who walk towards the future shall shape it.  
><strong>__**A new destiny has unfolded for our hero  
><strong>__**The Child of Revolution.'**_

* * *

><p><strong>End of the Restored Memories and Lives arc<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Sage's Apple = Adam's Apple<strong>

**The list with all the quotes all go in order of the names in the proceeding paragraph.**

**Oh yeah, the quotes in this chapter and the first chapter, expect for the first one, are mine. I don't want anyone using them at all!**

**Really weird thing I found out when typing the word Sharingan, I found that it has the word 'sharing' in its name. Is it me or did Kishimoto mean to come up with a completely weird name for an eyeball, the sharing wheel, really? But it is actually copycat wheel, so... I think the whole sharing thing is more of stealing. Just me rambling on okay.**

**[To any Naru/Tsu pairing fans: I do not like that pairing at all. I'd like it if it were a family pairing. Also, what if some of those theories out there are true that Tsunade is Naruto's grandmother? Do you know how weird and awkward that would be?**

**Words of a pervert: "Incest is best and I want to take you for a test."**

**I found pictures of Kushina... They were reallllllllly steamy.**

**I found the most disturbing thing... I found a picture of Jiraiya and he had gone through the gender bender. (*Shudder and gasp*) That was a very disturbing thing.]**

**Ignore the bracketed area of my rant.**

**Also if you don't know what sweet-nothings are, then you obviously don't know relationships that well, or you don't realize you do it. Ask the Internet what sweet-nothings are if you're stumped.**

**(Funny scenario, or the Omake, during a future scene with Sasuke back in the Village: Jiraiya walking in on Naruto and Sasuke making out.**

**"I've failed the boy!" he shouted to the heavens, dropping to his knees, "He did not find the beauty in the female shape I tried to show him, but instead succumbed to the evilness of yaoi! WHYYYYYY!" he screamed to the heavens, his arms uplifted as the sky rained.**

**Sasuke and Naruto turned to one another and smirk, as Sasuke turned into Tayuya.**

**"That was fucking hilarious Naruto!" Tayuya laughed out loud.**

**"I can't believe that Pervy-Sage though I was actually making out with Sasuke! Did he really think I turned to yaoi?" Naruto guffawed, leaning against Tayuya.**

**After a while Naruto and Tayuya stopped laughing and stared into each other's eyes. Both of them licked their lips and then jumped one another, pulling and tugging fiercely at each other's hair and clothing. Good thing they were in a private park. Neither noticed the 'pop' and 'poof' sound coming nearby.**

**In a tree a good twenty meters away, Jiraiya was giggling perversely, writing down the details of the events going on for his book Icha-Icha.**

**"I think I'll call it, Icha-Icha: Passion of Fire." Jiraiya proceeded to giggle even more perversely until a nosebleed knocked him back. His last thoughts before sweet darkness were, 'I never thought of using Shadow Clones like that with Tsunade!')**

**Erm... I disturb myself much.**

**When I refer to shinobi, it's a male. When I refer to kunoichi, it's female. Ninja is unisex. I'm just not getting into that whole debate thing on how we should call somethings a different name while we call others a different name, because this is my story, my rules, and thus I am god here in this (story) universe.**

**Pein: I am the only god in this universe.**

**Envoy: Back off Jack.**

**Pein: I am not Jack. My name is Pein. And I will be the ruler of this world.**

**Envoy: Psst. Sephiroth.**

**Sephiroth: Yes?**

**Envoy: Someone (*motions at Pein*) is trying to steal your place as this world's chosen one.**

**Sephiroth: (*already at Pein*) I am the Chosen One of this world. I am the only god and no other.**

**Pein: Hn. Then we shall see who is the true god.**

**(*And so began a battle so fantastic, and awe inspiring that it would be too difficult to detail all the effects of their battle with one another not only on the world, but on each other*)**

**Pein: Do you... ngh... think we've... guh... been... had?**

**Sephiroth: I... ugh... do believe... ngh... so.**

**Envoy: Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner.**

**(*Sephiroth and Pein growled out once more in response before they both fell to the floor dead of exhaustion*)**

**For the 9/11 Remembrance Day of 10 years, let us all take one minute of silence for those who died on that terrible day. I salute those who died to protect and save everyone from the burning buildings. I also salute those people who died on United Air Flight for fighting valiantly to stop the terrorists from hitting their next target.**

**Again, let us all not forget this day, one that will only be surpassed in grief by December 2nd, 1941, and those that died on this day. Let us all remember their sacrifice and move toward the future, and build a brighter one those people sought.**

**Amen.**


	4. Revisit the Past

Memories Lost, Lingering Futures

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><p><strong>I know my one-shot story The Ramen Waitress and the Hokage's Heir was rushed. If people want that story written out more, then read and review it, state your claim, and I will write it out. Until that time comes I will not work on the real main story for The Ramen Waitress and the Hokage's Heir and will focus on the story I am currently working on: Memories Lost, Lingering Futures.<strong>

**First order of business, I will be replying to any reviews now. (*Note that these are third chapter reviews*)**

**Fishcake-Chan: I will update, but I won't come out with a new chapter every three or four days. If people don't review, I won't come out with the chapters fast enough. Also, I have other obligations I must take care of so it may be a month or so in-between chapters so...**

**grimangel163: Thanks for the compliment man. I hope ParadiseRegained and UltimateGrr review soon as well on the new chapter. (*Those three (including grimangel163) are part of the original three who reviewed my story*)**

**ScrimjaNinja: I will keep up the chapters. Hey, maybe one day I'll put out a Naruto/Kushina romance fanfic one day.**

**Gold Testament: Thanks for saying it's a good story. I'll update soon.**

* * *

><p><strong>Rants, rants, rants, rats, rats, rats... I don't think there is much too rant on is there? I mean, not many people are finding any holes in the story. I'm sure if there were holes you, my faithful readers, would point them out... right?<strong>

**(*Snaps fingers in an 'ah hah!' moment*) I remember! Okay so Hitomi is _my _fanon name for Tayuya. It's not going to be a widely accepted one, but I'll stick with it. It's her fanon name in my story, so it's not really the real accepted fanon name on fanfic. Net. So if anyone was wondering...**

**Also, I won't come out with chapters every now and again like I used to. Since school has started back up I will have more obligations to fulfill and thus may have to push back my plans for my story.**

**I also have a note of importance to readers. When you see a group of words, usually three to five lines long with a single apostrophe at each end, that is a saying from the story (if it was a myth or legend) and begins a new scene, which means different time and setting. If the font is in Italics, _like such_, that means it's usually something that had occurred in the past. A line in-between paragraphs means that only time has passed and the setting of the story has not. But this will only occur when omnipresent point of view scene changes occur, not when some is flash backing.**

**I also have two active polls right now. The first is on my profile. The other poll will be revealed when I close the current one. I have six people who voted on it. I want at least four more people who will vote on it before it closes.**

**The question is:**

**Do you like Tayuya's birth name Hitomi?**

**Yes?**

**No?**

**I like it, but I like her old name better.**

**So far the vote is**

**Yes- 4**

**No- 1**

**I like it, but I like her old name better- 2**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!**

**Anyway... ON WITH THE STORY!**

* * *

><p><strong>Three Years arc: Episode I<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Revisit the Past<strong>

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><p><strong><em>'A life once lived is past<br>_****_The life is one more retold  
><em>****_So that the truth and lies  
><em>****_May become clear as day'_**

* * *

><p>As time past by, the people who had come to the East Gate of the Hidden Leaf to see off Naruto Uzumaki and his mentor slowly began to disperse until nearly half an hour later only two figures stood there.<p>

"He's going to come back you know? Naruto-nii always keeps his promises," the pinkette said slowly as she rested her hand on Tayuya's shoulder.

Tayuya nodded to the younger girl and smiled. "Yeah, I know he is. It's just... sometimes I worry. When we were kids he would always make me worry, especially that time he was gone for nearly a year." Naruto's childhood friend chuckled and turned on the ball of her heel and began strolling down the early morning bustle of the streets.

Sakura raised an eyebrow and stood there for a moment and realized something. "Hey! Wait for me will ya Tayuya!" the new apprentice of the Fifth Hokage shouted as she ran after the disappearing form of her nii-chan's childhood friend. She frantically looked through the throng of pedestrians trying to spot the redhead. Sakura shrieked and jumped up three centimeters when a hand rested itself on her shoulder.

"Too easy Sakura," she heard the voice from behind say. Sakura turned around and sighed when she realized whom it was.

"Tayuya, don't scare me like that!" Sakura exclaimed as she embraced the redhead. "I though I almost lost you for a second," she said after she let go of the older girl.

"Don't worry to much Sakura," Tayuya smirked as she ruffled the pinkette's exotic colored hair. "I can take care of myself no sweat," she boasted confidently as she placed her fists on her hips.

"Ehehe... sorry I forgot you're a ninja too," Sakura said sheepishly.

"I said 'Don't worry about it' already," the redhead replied somewhat irked. "Anyway, let's go somewhere to talk. You have place in mind?"

Sakura nodded, "I have a few." She raised her open hand and began to count off, pulling her fingers in. "There's my house we can talk at. There's the training ground Kakashi-sensei, Naruto, Sasuke and I always train at, Training Ground 7. There's the park near the waterfall. I think that park was made by the two brothers, the First and Second Hokage, because many people like to visit the place and pray to the shrine built in the middle of the lake. And then there's the Ichiraku Ramen –Ah!" She was pulled away the moment the words 'Ichiraku' and 'Ramen' had left her mouth.

Within moments of spouting out those words, Sakura had been seated on one of the Stand's stools, a startled look etched into her face, her body somewhat frozen in place.

"H-how did you get here so fast Tayuya?" she asked in through her frozen together teeth.

"A large bowl of miso ramen Old Man Teuchi! And then a bowl of beef ramen and keep 'em comin' Old Man, I haven't eaten here in a long time and I plan to make up for lost time!" Tayuya said with a boisterous voice and a large toothy grin on her lips.

"Ah! Of course miss... " The ramen chef blinked owlishly and stared at the young redhead seated before him, chopsticks in her right hand and her smacking her lips. "Umm? Who are you miss?"

"How about I tell over ramen Old Man?" she asked with a toothy grin.

The old ramen chef laughed a jovial, hearty laugh. "I like this lass already!" he said. "What about you Miss Sakura?"

"Oh, I'll have the uh... Vegetable Ramen sounds good. Can you make it light though?" The Ramen Stand owner raised a questioning eyebrow but nodded anyway, accepting the order from both young kunoichis.

"Drinks?"

"Orange Soda for me please!" Teuchi nodded, having a somewhat good idea who the young girl in front of him was.

"A green tea for me Mr. Ichiraku."

The Ramen Stand owner nodded and headed toward the back of the stand to prepare the meals.

"Why do you want to go light on your food Sakura?" the redheaded kunoichi asked with a raised eyebrow as they both accepted their drinks.

The pink-haired kunoichi had a sheepish look on her face as she sipped the green tea from the small cup. "Well, I'm trying to watch my figure and if I eat to much I might gain some unneeded weight." She received a skeptical look from her redheaded companion and laughed sheepishly. "W-what is it Tayuya?"

"Sakura, you're a kunoichi right?" the pinkette nodded slowly, trying to understand what the former Sound kunoichi was getting at. "Do you know what kunoichis do, right?"

"We're ninjas, like our shinobi counterparts?" was the tentative response from the year younger girl.

"And what do ninjas do?" Tayuya pressed. Sakura just shrugged helplessly with an embarrassed grin on her face. The redhead facepalmed and sighed dramatically. "We fight Sakura. We train. We need energy, why would you be trying to lose weight when you'll just by burning off the energy when you train? All right Sakura, look at me. I want you note my features and tell what you see."

Sakura's emerald green eyes scanned over her 'brother's' childhood friend and noticed some very odd things. "Well for one thing, I noticed your hair is... natural? It doesn't even look like it was treated that much other than with shampoo and conditioner. Your skin also looks flawless as well. I don't see that many blemishes and the few I see are hardly noticeable since they're so small. If I hadn't looked hard enough, I would have never have noticed them. That's as much as I can tell." Sakura paused in her observations and looked at her clasped hands in her lap. "Umm... How much do you train Tayuya?"

The redhead at that moment was having daydreams pertaining to herself and a certain blonde boy bound by fate to her while she sipped the orange soda in her glass through a red and yellow bendy straw. "Huh? You say something Sakura?"

"Were you even listening at all Tayuya?" the pinkette asked with a huff if her checks.

"I was, but the I spaced out for a bit." She laughed sheepishly while rubbing the back of her head. "So what is that you asked me?"

"I asked you, 'How long do you train?' a few seconds ago."

"Hmm... I think," she counted off on her hand and reached up to ten fingers. "Ten hours at the least."

"Is that straight or?"

Tayuya raised an eyebrow in an 'Are you stupid?' sense. "Do you really think we train for ten hours straight. Kami forbid no. It's usually broken down with two hours of early morning exercises that usually begin at 400 hours sharp. We then have a large breakfast, though it's usually bland tasteless shit anyone can cook. God I hate that crap," the redhead growled, remembering having to eat that horrid excuse for food. She shook her head and continued with her explanation to the pinkette.

"Afterwards we usually work for four hours straight on basic training; it's basically the same as the morning exercises we do, except that you double the amount you did that morning." Tayuya laughed mirthlessly as she remembered something.

"This one time I tried to show off doing fifty laps around the compound wearing twelve kilogram (approximately twenty-five pounds) weight-bands around my wrist and ankles. After that, I felt like someone had replaced my bones with slime. When the second training regimen of the day was over, I felt like I had been turned into slime. Try doing one hundred laps, with twenty-three kilogram (approximately fifty pounds) weights on your arms and legs and tell me don't feel like slime then!"

"Must be rough," the pinkette said quietly, reevaluating herself and her lifestyle once more when it came to her friends.

Tayuya shrugged and hummed an unfamiliar tune. "You get used to it after a while," she said as she sipped her orange soda. "You might want to start eating normally Sakura."

"Why is that?" the newest apprentice of Lady Tsunade asked.

"Well you are the Hokage's apprentice. I think it might be in your best interests to start eating more food. You may need the extra energy if you want to survive the training Lady Tsunade's going to give you. I heard from Orochimaru that back when they were still comrades that she would always be on the training grounds nearly ten hours of the day. And whenever he would visit the training ground she had used, he would always compare to a battlefield; the whole area would be littered with fallen trees and craters all around the landscape."

"That bad huh?" Sakura asked with a hint of awe.

"Yup! But don't worry, Lady Tsunade doesn't start running you into the ground for a while right?"

Sakura thought back to when Lady Tsunade had pulled her off to the side to speak with her alone during the time Naruto and Tayuya were alone with one another in the hospital the first time after the blonde boy had recovered from his injury.

* * *

><p>"<em>He's a great kid," Tsunade Senju commented out of the blue after Naruto had left his hospital room. "He's one in a million that brat is."<em>

_Sakura smiled happily. "It was actually great to have someone support me so strongly, even if I never realized it," she finished quietly._

_The last known Senju looked at the young girl beside her and sighed wearily as she had seen the distressed look on her face. She placed a comforting hand on the younger kunoichi's and squeezed it slightly in a comforting manner. "Don't beat yourself over it, alright Sakura?"_

"_But all this time, he's been faking loving me. He sees me as nothing but a sister. He never really liked me at all," she whispered in a forlorn voice._

"_He's always loved you Sakura. He just shows it in different ways to different people."_

"_Like how? I haven't even realized all this until just now."_

"_Well for one," she pointed her thumb at herself, "Naruto treats me like his mom or grandma sometimes, yet he still calls me Granny Tsunade whenever he greets me. He has no sense of respect when it comes to his superiors, but at least he makes up for it in loyalty and a will as strong as the Kami Metal Orichalcum._

"_He also showed his love for you by always being by your side, but acting as a boy chasing after you so you would gain your own confidence. He didn't care whether you truely loved him or not, he only cared whether or not you were happy with your lot in life. Are you Sakura?"_

"_I am. It's just... Why does he always sacrifice so much for all of us? He gives his all to us and we just belittle him for it. How can he do such a thing for us?" Sakura balled her hand into a fist and something in her head just snapped._

"_I don't understand at all! Why is always smiling! I've seen the looks people have given him before, why doesn't he even give up because of it! If I were Naruto, I would have just run away from it all! How can he care for me when all I've ever done for him is beat him up and belittle him! How can he love me when I got him injured by sending him after Sasuke! Why is he so strong!"_

_A resounding smack on top of the pinkette's head from a fist caused her to yelp in pail, fall on her behind and gain a goose egg bump. She rubbed the sore spot and looked up at the glaring Tsunade who also had a twitching eye._

"_What did Naruto just ask you before you asked me to be my apprentice?"_

_Sakura opened her mouth and then shut it quickly, and then flushed a pink color in embarrassment. "I'm sorry Lady Tsunade."_

_The Fifth Hokage waved her hand in dismissal. "Don't worry about it alright? Anyway," she trailed off. She turned to the window and realized that, as usual, Jiraiya was a slippery little toad when he could be one. She shook her head with a smile and walked toward the door and beckoned for Sakura to follow after her as she left the room._

_Sakura didn't know where they were going to, but she knew that wherever they were going to that Lady Tsunade would reveal some interesting details pertaining to Naruto._

_Soon, nearly five minutes later both Tsunade and Sakura had reached room 473. Sakura stared at the colored sign above the door indicating the number of the room before turning to her new master. "Isn't this Tayuya's room?"_

"_It is." was the short reply that came from the hokage._

"_Why are we here?"_

"_I think you're about to find out."_

_The young pinkette raised an eyebrow before going over to the door of the room and pressing her ear against the cold maple wood of the barrier. Inside of the room she could hear the calm breathing of both Tayuya and Naruto. Then she heard something that nearly stole the life from her._

"_It's because of the Nine-Tailed Fox, isn't it Naruto?"_

"_How did you know?"_

_The next words she couldn't hear because she had frozen in shock at learning that the Nine-Tailed Fox was connected to Naruto. If she had kept her ear to the door longer, she would have heard Tayuya comment on being one of Orochimaru's adjutants._

"_I-I didn't want to push you away. I didn't want you to fear me because of the demon sealed within me. I didn't want you to hate me, and I didn't want to lose the love and trust we had."_

_She then heard a slap come from within the room and then a roaring voice from the redheaded girl inside the room._

"_How it the hell could you say that shit! I wouldn't be pushed away by that stupid ass burden of yours! I wouldn't hate you at all for that Kami-damned beast at all! You're the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox not the Nine-Tails itself! Who do you take me for, one of those idiotic civilians in this Village? I am..." By the time Tayuya had shouted out her real name Sakura was against the opposite wall, a look of horror and realization frozen onto her face._

"_He's the container for the Nine-Tailed Fox?" she choked out. "But I thought the Fourth Hokage, Lord Minato Namikaze, killed the Tailed Beast twelve years ago on... October... Tenth... That's when Naruto was born... How did I never realize this?" the pinkette mumbled to herself as she stared down onto the floor, a far distant look in her eyes as her mind flashed through all the events and details that pertain to one Naruto Uzumaki._

_The battle on the bridge in Wave Country..._

_The attack by Orochimaru in the Forest of Death..._

_The Chunin Exams, his matches against Kiba and Neji..._

_That battle against Gaara... _

"_So, did you find out what you wanted to know? You now know why and where he gets his strength and will from."_

"_So that's why he always smiled and laughed everything off, he wanted to help everyone else out. But why, he was scorned for his burden, shouldn't he hate all of us because of the atrocities and crimes we committed against him?"_

_The Fifth Hokage shook her head as she walked over to the window near Sakura's head and pulled it open to let in the mid-summer breeze. "Mm-hmm. He should hate us all, but he doesn't."_

"_Why? If I was Naruto, or anyone else was Naruto, we would have given up. What makes him so strong?"_

_The Lady Senju sighed as she inhaled the fresh summer-breeze. "It's because it's his ninja-way. It's his dream to prove everyone else wrong, to prove to everyone else that he can overcome any obstacle and gain their respect because he became Hokage. He wants to do that because he wants to protect everyone."_

_The fifty-five year old woman, though she appeared to only be thirty at the most, turned to her new apprentice. She looked over her apprentice before speaking. _"_He once told me that someone he held dear to his heart once told him this, 'When a person has something important they want to protect, that's when they can become truly strong'. He had since then taken that saying to heart, ever since that girl's death."_

"_Who was she? She sounded like a great person. Wish I could have met her."_

_The blonde female Hokage chuckled at that. "You have Sakura, you already met her. I believe her name was Haku Yuki?"_

_Sakura's eyes widened in realization when she heard that name. The same name echoed through her head as she remembered Naruto always saying that same saying over and over from time to time. And every time, he would have a far off look in his eyes and a small sad smile. _

"_The Hunter Ninja from Wave? So, her name was Haku... I wish I could have gotten to know her. I would have at least had a friend."_

"_You still do Sakura. You just don't realize what's in front of you. You have friends in both Naruto and that Ino girl. And maybe if you open up to the others in the Rookie Nine and Team Gai, maybe you'll have true friends. I think that Rock Lee kid is honest when it comes to you," the medic ninja of the Legendary Three Ninjas of the Hidden Leaf teased._

_The pinkette flushed an atomically before shaking her head and laughing it off. "I know he is," she mumbled to herself. "Anyway, thanks for the encouragement Lady Tsunade!"_

_The Slug Summoner of the Legendary Three Ninja of the Village Hidden in the Leaves smiled as she ruffled the pinkette's hair. "Don't mention it Sakura. Anyway, I have to talk to you about the training we're going to be doing." Sakura immediately closed her mouth and opened her ears and had her full attention on the older woman. "We'll be doing mainly medical ninja training for a good three weeks, but after that, we'll need to start serious training alright?" She smiled when the young girl nodded enthusiastically and ruffled her hair once more._

* * *

><p>"Lady Tsunade said that we'll be doing the more strenuous training after three weeks of the medical ninja training she's going to put me through."<p>

Tayuya tapped her chin thoughtfully as she heard what Sakura said. "Alright, that gives you a good head start to change a few things." The redhead turned to the ramen bar and shouted, "Oi! Old Man, where's our food! I'm starving! Oh and also make Sakura's ramen and shrimp ramen instead of that crap she ordered!"

A few seconds later a voice from behind the few stovetops shouted, "I know! I know! I heard the conversation already Hitomi-chan. You don't have to rush me! Making the ramen is an art that is delicate and takes careful precise-"

Tayuya cut him off when she shouted, making a mouth with her hand, "Blah! Blah! Blah! That's all I'm hearing! I want my food Old Man!"

A minute later a steaming bowl of miso ramen was set in front of the redhead and another bowl of steaming hot shrimp ramen was set before the pinkette. It seemed Teuchi was able to improvise by combining the shrimp ramen ingredients to the partially finished vegetable ramen with base to make a vegetable and shrimp ramen.

"Ramen!" Tayuya shouted with gusto as she dug into the miso-flavored ramen with her chopsticks. Sakura looked at her and saw some of the resemblance between both her 'brother' and her redheaded companion. She shrugged to herself, having already been used to Naruto's habits, and broke her chopsticks with an 'itadakimasu' and slurped down some of the ramen concoction. When she swallowed the noodles and the soup base, she felt like she had just entered heaven.

"This tastes great!"

"I'm glad you like it Sakura! Finally you got to eat some of my ramen! If only Naruto were here to see this!"

"You've never eaten here before Sakura?" Tayuya asked as she slurped down some noodles.

"Most of the time Naruto would ask me out on dates to this place. I would always reject him though. I just now realized he was doing it to help me feel better about myself and be happy."

"Hmm. That's Naruto for ya, always wanting to see others happy," the redhead said as she slurped down more noodles. She slammed the bowl on the counter when she was done and shouted, "Another bowl of ramen please!"

Five minutes later, that's how long ramen takes to cook and why both Hitomi and Naruto hate those five minutes, a steaming bowl of beef ramen was set before the redheaded kunoichi who grabbed the bowl and began to quickly inhale the ambrosia known as ramen.

"So where have you been the whole time Hitomi? Ayame was worried for the longest time about what happened to her little sister."

Tayuya, or Hitomi as she was truely named, stopped inhaling her food for a moment and blinked at the question directed at her by Teuchi. She paused for a moment and set her bowl of ramen down on the counter to the side and pulled her orange soda up and sipped from it. She exhaled and drummed her fingers on the counter, while her head rested on her upraised hand. "Where do I start?" she contemplated.

"How about eight years ago Hitomi. That fire that happened at the orphanage, The Lost Children Orphanage, I want to know what happened those years ago," a feminine voice from behind the flap of the Ichiraku Ramen Stand said. All three occupants turned their heads and stared at the new comer as she sat down on the stool next to Hitomi. "What?" the purple haired woman asked.

The occupant of the stool next to the redhead was one Anko Mitarashi, Tokubetsu Jonin of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. She was the former student of the Snake Summoner of the Legendary Three Ninja of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Orochimaru.

Her purple colored hair was currently out of its high ponytail, with a bang off to the side, one in her face and the rest of her hair in a bun tied behind her head with two ornamental chopsticks at the base of the bun. Everyone raised an eyebrow when they realized she looked normal with her hair down.

When one would normally gaze into Anko's amber brown eyes, they would get the hell out of Tanzaku Quarters (Tanzaku Gai) when they would even set eyes upon the insanity that swam within her eyes. But now they held a certain something deep within those amber eyes.

Instead of her usual full body mesh suit, burnt orange skirt, shin guards and cream colored trench coat that barely hid her feminine figure, she wore a civilian set of clothes. They consisted of skinny jeans that hugged her legs perfectly, showing off her shapely derriere which caused several men to either run into lampposts, walls or buildings or getting slapped upside the head by either their wife, girlfriend or sister(s). She also wore a cream-colored halter-top with a red kanji for dango. Over the top she wore a jean jacket with the symbol for the Hidden Leaf etched onto the back.

"How do you even know that?" Tayuya asked, breaking the silence that had settled over everyone.

"Pfft!" She waved her hand as if she knew what the young kunoichi beside her was asking about. "Everyone's heard about the fire at the orphanage that happened eight years ago girl."

"I mean, how do you know my name Anko? I haven't even told you about it. Why would you even want to know what happened that day eight years ago? I only know you because of the interrogation; how is it that you, a person I only met with for only an hour, knows my real name?" the redhead asked in a serious yet strained voice. If one were to listen to her heart and breath, they would realize she felt threatened like a cornered animal.

"I should know Hitomi-chan," Anko said as she ruffled the redhead's hair. "I was there when you and Naruto decided to combine your last names for your family." The purple haired woman chuckled in remembrance, "The

Harusuki-Uzumakis, if I remember correctly."

"No one should know that. Only Naruto, Haruka-nee and I know about that promise the night before the incident. Unless there were people listening in on us." Her head shot up and she glared at the older kunoichi. "How is that you know?" she snarled. She yelped in pain when she received a lump to the noggin courtesy of Anko's fist.

"Don't make assumptions just yet Hitomi-chan," the woman chuckled. She smiled and looked down at the girl and in an eerily familiar teasing voice said, "How do you think I know Mrs. Uzumaki? Who was that taught you the glory of the food of the Kamis known as dango?" She raised an eyebrow in a funny way and smirked widely. "I also helped Naruto-kun buy that lovely blue sundress for you."

Tayuya's eyes widened in shock as she pointed an accusing finger at the older woman. 'Deja Vu?' the Tokubetsu Jonin sweatdropped, remembering a similar scene earlier this morning.

"H-Haruka-nee? But I thought you were dead. How'd you survive?"

"Hitomi, I was already a ninja by the time you and Naruto-kun had met me. I'm surprised he never realized I still watched over him after all this time," she mumbled to herself. She shook her head clear of her thoughts and turned back to her surrogate younger sister. "So? Are you going to spill about what happened?" She turned to Teuchi and ordered a large bottle of sake before turning back to the younger girl.

"Wait," Hitomi stalled. "I want Old Man Teuchi to hear this." Anko nodded once and turned in her stool and drummed her fingers atop the counter. A minute or two later, a sake bottle and dish were set before the Tokubetsu Jonin. "Alright. Now I'll start..."

And so Tayuya started on her tale of woe; she first started on the small little event that occurred a few hours before the fire at the Lost Children Orphanage that was known as the Pyre of Summer. Both Sakura and Anko smiled widely when the heard what the redhead and blonde would normally do at sunset, though Sakura's inner persona rebuked the outer Sakura for abusing such a sweet and kind boy for just wanting to see her happy. That caused a mental argument to occur between the two and thus pull Sakura's attention away from the story.

"Sakuraaaaa? You in thereeee?" Tayuya shouted in front of the pinkette, snapping her fingers in at a furious speed.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine; don't worry about it," the newest apprentice of Tsunade Senju chuckled.

"You sure you're okay?" Teuchi asked as he leaned against the front counter, both arms crossed in front of his chest. "You had a glazed look for a while there." The ramen stand looked her once over before asking once more, "Are you sure your okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm fine," she said with a wave of her hand. "Don't worry about it." She turned to Tayuya and asked, "So, that story?"

The former adjutant of Orochimaru looked the pinkette over before nodding and turning around in her seat to face the front counter. All three other occupants of the ramen stand leaned on their seats, or in Teuchi's case, against the counter, and listened in on what happened next.

The listeners of the stall chuckled, or giggled in Sakura and Anko's case, when they were told of how fast Naruto had blown by the then brown haired woman just to get ramen. Anko had then filled in everyone about the dinner during the meal that had occurred and then her putting the redhead and blonde into their respective beds.

Sakura openly gasped when Anko told of the inferno that surrounded the other young kunoichi and how hard it was to just breathe in the oxygen choked room.

The Tokubetsu shook her head before she took a long drawn out sip from her sake filled dish. "It was a fire jutsu. There is no way the orphanage itself could have burned that fiercely."

The other three people within the stand turned their attention to the Tokubetsu. "How is that possible?" Sakura asked. "I mean the orphanage is like any other building," the pinkette paused for a second before adding, "Right?"

The purple haired kunoichi shook her head. "Wrong. That orphanage was special. It could not be destroyed by any conventional means other than high level jutsus or summons."

"But why though?" the redheaded kunoichi, Tayuya, asked, "Why go through all that trouble to build such an orphanage?"

"It's because it housed our jinchūriki Sakura," a feminine voice said from behind the curtains of the ramen stand.

"Lady Tsunade?" the pinkette asked when the owner of the voice revealed herself and sat beside said pinkette. "What do you mean it housed the jinchūriki of the Hidden Leaf?" the pink haired kunoichi asked, playing dumb. "The Hidden Leaf Village doesn't have a jinchūriki within its ranks."

The blonde haired woman raised an eyebrow at the younger girl sitting next to her. "Sakura, I thought you already knew that Naruto was the jinchūriki of the Hidden Leaf?"

"No I don't," Sakura said in a strained voice, signaling with her hands that she didn't want Tayuya to know she knew already. It was her secret between Naruto and herself to keep after all.

"You listened in on Naruto and I, didn't you?" Tayuya asked in a nonchalant voice as she sipped her orange soda.

"N-no I didn't, no I wouldn't listen in on yours and Naruto's conversation," the former diehard fan of Sasuke Uchiha spluttered.

"Sakura it's alright," the redhead said, trying to calm the frantic girl beside her.

She turned to her lukewarm ramen and brought the bowl up to her mouth and sipped the broth before making a face and pushing it away. "Hate ramen when it's left over for too long," she said in a disgusted voice. She then turned to the pinkette once more and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not mad alright? You just need to tell me these things that way we're not hiding anything from each other." She paused for a moment before asking, "You're not mad at me for helping Sasuke escape at all?"

Sakura shook her head and took the redhead's hand off her shoulder before sighing and placing her chin on the counter. "I don't lame you Hitomi. I'm actually glad you tried to talk him out of it. But maybe next time you should just say it directly. I think boys can't understand most things we say," she chuckled.

"Amen to that Sakura," Ayame said as she reached the group in her ramen stand uniform. She looked over the group and greeted the hokage, her father and Anko before turning to the redhead. "Oh! I'm sorry! We haven't met have we? My name is-"

"Ayame! It's good to see you again! How have you been all these years?"

"I've... been fine," she said awkwardly. "Have we met before at all?"

The redhead in front of her chuckled before saying, "Just imagine me in a blue sundress and with a blonde lovable oaf by my side."

The ramen waitress' mind stopped momentarily at processing the information before the girl shouted, "Hitomi!" and the proceeded to reach over the counter and hug the girl tightly before releasing her. "Where have you been all this time? I was worried about you because Naruto didn't seem to remember anything about you." She gasped when she just remembered something important that just happened recently. "Naruto just left this morning, I'm sorry but-"

"Ayame!" Tayuya shouted as she, and everyone else, noticed that the brunette was turning slightly blue. "Don't worry so much about it. I was there when Naruto and Lord Jiraiya left this morning."

"But the only person with red hair there was..." she made an 'o' shape with her lip when she realized it. "So... What happened?"

And so, Tayuya rehashed her story about the events that lead up to the Pyre of Summer on the year. When Tayuya reached the part about where she and Naruto had found Anko or Haruka at the time, with a wound in her stomach she paused and turned to said purple haired woman. "How'd you survive?"

The Tokubetsu Jonin sighed as she sipped her sake dish once more before setting down. She rubbed er stomach, the area where her wound was inflicted all those years ago as she remembered the day many lives had changed. "It was just after you two had left the room..."

* * *

><p><em>Pain...<em>

_That was all the undercover kunoichi could feel at that moment._

_Lying on her side, inside of a burning orphanage no less, was not how she imagined she was going to die at all. She dreamed that she would have at least have removed that treacherous snake's head from its body. At least she had something to call a family before all had happened._

_Before her regret would not having the chance to restore her pride, honor and reputation._

_Now, she only regretted not being able to watch Hitomi and Naruto grow up together and have a family. She would have loved to be an aunt for their kids._

_Anko Mitarashi, or Haruka Himatsura, as the children knew her as, currently had a gaping wound in her stomach region, blood spilling out of it at a life-threatening pace. If she were a civilian she would have panicked about the wound and run around looking for help and unfortunately get her killed from blood loss._

_As her training called for, she applied pressure to the wound while biting down on the blood pill kept within the seal on her tongue._

'_Thank Kami for seals,' Anko dryly remarked as she began to feel the blood pill work its magic on her body._

_She grunted as she pushed her body up into a sitting position. Anko stared at her surroundings, taking in the sounds and smells, or if their were any due to the roaring fires drowning them out, and frowned slightly as she turned to the dead bastard laying a good meter away from her position._

_A few moments later after searching the dead body for any supplies, she had come up with three blood pills two soldier pills, and a few first-aid dressings. Her lucky find on the last one._

_Nearly three minutes later Anko was running through the burning orphanage with her stomach bandaged up, the bandages held up with the clothe from her shirt's shoulder instead of an adhesive wrap. She ran frantically trying to find out were the two of her charges had gone to escape the burning inferno that was once their home._

_She had already checked the exit through the back of the orphanage via the back deck, but that way was already cut off due to the fact that the fire was the most intense there. She knew that the two wouldn't try to do something stupid such as jumping from the second story windows to escape from the fire due to Naruto leading the way. The front entrance as well was burned out and had no accessibility. That left the left wing exits, which was the area she was left in, and thus knew that they hadn't passed by her to get to those exits. And to be sure, she had checked those exits as well, and again discovered them unusable. That had only left the right wing exits open._

_As the purple haired then chunin ran through the orphanage, dodging left and right, avoiding burning beams, doors and other obstacles, her ninja training began to kick in._

_During her time of training with Orochimaru, who was once a respected member of the Hidden Leaf's forces, he would push her to become a true kunoichi by breaking all of her limits and boundaries. One thing he did as well for her was teaching her to look through everything that happened around her and analyze it to the finest point. Not only that, but not to take anything as a coincidence and to be paranoid of everything around her and to be ready to fight for her life at the drop of a pin._

_Right now, her senses were screaming at her that this was all non-natural. It couldn't be any fire started by one of the children due to the fact that the whole of the orphanage had fireproof seals, made by Lord Jiraiya of the Legendary Three Ninjas no less! It also couldn't have been faulty maintenance in the building, such as the gas or any of the appliances, mainly due to the fact that this orphanage was inspected by the Hokage's own ANBU squad at monthly intervals._

_The whole situation reeked of sabotage to Anko. But why was the question? Why attack this specific building, and an orphanage no less? What would anyone gain from this? It wasn't as if anyone important was here-_

"_Naruto!" Her whole body shot forward with the speed of a lightning bolt. 'Naruto, Hitomi, please be safe.'_

_As she barreled down the halls of the burning inferno toward the right wing of the before mentioned burning orphanage, her mind wandered to the information about the blonde haired, blue eyed boy._

_Two years ago Anko had been approached by the Hokage and asked to watch over a specific child within the Lost Children Orphanage. She had shrugged all the other details when she was told it was an S-ranked mission. She just hadn't known it was that serious._

_When she had met the boy, she had realized that all others had neither cared for, nor abused him, and had no one to talk to or even confide in. She realized then that he was like her in some way, but she didn't know what. But luckily she was always using a Transformation jutsu to hide so she would remain anonymous._

_When she began to watch after him, the whole assignment seemed like a crock of BS to her. But after a while, she began to warm up to him and he to her. They had even begun to see each other as brother and sister. To her, that was one of the greatest memories in her life, just because someone who wasn't obligated to love the whole of the village loved her as their own family. _

_But one day she had was startled when she couldn't even locate the little kid. He was only three at that time! He shouldn't have been able to escape her that easily! She was a chunin for Kami's sake!_

_But after a while she truely began to worry about the kid, searching frantically around the whole of the village for him. She had even asked the Hokage to back her up with a few of his ANBU. She remembered one of the ANBU, a silver haired teen, or whom she thought was a teen, due to the voice, helping her out just as frantically._

_After a week of searching no one had seen hide nor hair of the young boy. The best in the village couldn't even find him. The hokage had reluctantly called the search off and had told Anko personally that it wasn't her fault._

_It was when she broke down into tears and fall on her knees like a little child having failed their sibling did something odd happen._

"_I'm sorry for making you cry Haruka-nee," a small, timid voice behind her said as a pair of small arms grabbed onto er back. "I just wanted to make sure that you was true about saying you was my sister. I don't want someone lying to me. I don't like lying. I'm sorry Haruka-nee."_

_She had then broken even further and had turned around and embraced the small child rocking back and forth saying she was sorry over and over again, noting only later that Naruto had broken down into to tears as well._

_She had then told him that he wouldn't have ramen for a week because of the stunt he pulled. His eloquent reply of "What! No ramen!" had returned everything to it was before._

_And it did._

_The following months after that test by Naruto, which the Third Hokage had only a smidgen of knowledge about since the young rapscallion had appeared before him on the last day of the search and filled him in on the plan, the two had grown even closer to each other. During that time as well, the whole of the orphanage began to warm up to Anko, or Haruka to them, and then by proxy Naruto. Then the Naruto had introduced the year older redhead known as Hitomi to her. Right then and there she realized that her little Naruto-kun was getting older._

_But it was that year that Naruto had up and disappeared like an ephemeral phantom, though she knew he had up and left due to a letter awaiting her on her nightstand, did she come to learn the true nature of one Naruto Uzumaki._

"_Why are you going to such lengths to find Naruto-kun? He already told me he was going to come back one day. Why is he so important?"_

"_That is my business alone Anko. I am not at liberty to tell you any details concerning one of my own villagers, nor do you have the authority to demand I release such information," Hiruzen Sarutobi said in a stoic voice as he exhaled some smoke. "And anyway," he smirked, "shouldn't you have told me that small detail about Naruto before I had sent all those ninjas out to search for him and waste all those resources?"_

"_Erk!" Anko was pale as a culprit caught committing the crime. "But- That's- I mean-" she stammered as if out of character._

"_It's all right Anko," the old man chuckled mirthfully. "Besides, I trust you to know about Naruto and his whereabouts at all times." The Third Hokage pushed himself out of his chair and strode slowly to the window overlooking the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Anko followed slowly behind him, her gait somewhat hesitant as if she were awaiting the 'But...' part of his explanation. _

_Hiruzen stopped at the window and stared hard out over the view of the village, with which he was saddled to protect, smoke puffing out of his pipe every now and again, with a look of deep concentration on his face. He was currently contemplating over whether to tell one of his subordinates, and the one watching over the subject, so to speak, no less, about the most critical piece of information pertaining to one blonde haired, blue eyed boy: the jinchūriki of the Village Hidden in the Leaves._

_He could sense the anxiousness emanating from Anko's very being and understood wholly. He could hear her even messing with the edge of her skirt, the rustling of the fabric hinting it, as if she had found it more interesting. Sometimes even an adult or a teenager in this case, will act like a child when they are uncomfortable._

_After deliberating with himself on the pros and cons about telling the purple haired teen behind him, he looked to the sky once and sent out a silent prayer before turning to Anko with his lips set in a thin line, seriousness etched within every wrinkle on his aged face._

'_I hope I'm doing the right thing Minato, Kushina.'_

"_The reason why I had my forces searching for Naruto Uzumaki, including my own personal guard, is because Naruto is in fact the jinchūriki of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, the human container of the Lord of the Tailed-Beasts, the Nine-Tailed Fox."_

_How is that possible? Naruto, one of the containers of the destructive Tailed-Beasts, and for the Nine-Tailed Fox no less?_

"_You've got to be shitting me Old Man," was Anko's baffled reply. "How can Naruto be the container of such a damned evil monster? There's no way in hell that Naruto has connection to that thing."_

"_I wish I was Anko," the Third Hokage sighed mournfully as he turned back to look over his village. "But Naruto Uzumaki is the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox." He paused for a moment in his musings before turning to Anko and asking, "When is Naruto's birthday again Anko?"_

_The purple haired chunin looked at him for a while contemplating what he just asked of her. "October 10th is his birthday. Why is his birthday so important?" she asked carefully, wondering where all of this was going._

"_Tell me Anko, what was the day that the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, fought and defeated the Tailed-Beast Lord?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked with a puff of smoke from his pipe._

_Again, it was an odd question, but she answered it. "October 10th sir." Her gut sensed a feeling of inevitable trouble in the answers that lied before her, yet she pushed on and waited for the Hokage to speak once more._

"_And how many years ago was this battle?" he asked as he walked over to his desk. He rifled through one of his drawers and pulled out a pouch with a mysterious content and removed said content from bag before replacing it in the drawer. The mysterious contents of the bag, which turned out to be high grade tobacco from Tanzaku Quarter's best farms, was pushed into the end of his pipe and lit with a small fire jutsu. The student of Hashirama and Tobirama Senju took a long drag from his pipe before returning to his place before the window._

"_Four... years... ago... Oh dear Kami," Anko whispered as her face downcast itself. It all made sense: the glares, jeers, and the whispers behind her younger surrogate brother. One thing about his condition troubled her so and she voiced her reason. "Why him though? Why Naruto?"_

"_The answer is right in front of you," the Third Hokage answered mysteriously, looking at the young fourteen-year-old girl from over his shoulder. "Whom would you trust with a burden?" he said finally before turning back to gaze at his village._

_The purple haired chunin mulled over her Hokage's words as she headed towards the door of his office. Right when her hand was on the door handle, she stopped and looked at the Sarutobi patriarch over her shoulder. "This doesn't change my perspective about Naruto-kun at all Old Man. He's still my little brother. __She turned her head and stared at the mahogany door before her and opened it. Anko then stopped at the threshold before saying, "Even if he's a jinchūriki, it doesn't change the fact that he's the only true family I have. I'll stay by both his and Hitomi-chan's side, protecting them both, until my last breathe."_

_When the door shut a second later, the Third Hokage had a smile on his aged face as he took in the sight of his village once more. He noted with aged happiness that the sun, that was so high in the sky, seemed to glow even more radiantly._

'_I wouldn't doubt it Anko,' he thought happily to himself as he returned to his desk once more to fill out his daily paperwork. One last thought exited his mind though; 'I hate you, my nemesis... paperwork.'_

_Her memories vanished from her mind when she entered the main hub of the right wing of the Lost Children Orphanage. Her eyes frantically darted about the burning building before settling on a figure. When she approached the figure, she gasped out loud in recognition of who the person was._

_There, pinned against the wall of the main room, with a ninjato sticking through his shoulder and a tanto's handle sticking out of his stomach, was her surrogate little brother, the blonde haired, blue eyed jinchūriki, one Naruto Uzumaki. Dripping down from the wound was blood that seemed to 'drip, drip' down unto the floor of the orphanage, yet evaporated due to the arid heat of the area._

_Anko immediately ran over to the young boy and evaluated his wounds and deduced that they were most likely superficial wounds. When she removed the tanto protruding from his stomach, she was slightly surprised to find that the moment the blade was removed, the wound had closed itself up with a hiss of steam, leaving no evidence of a wound other than the blood around the open clothed area. _

"_Alright, I know this is going to hurt Naruto-kun, but please," she pleaded softly to herself as she took the handle of the katana in her palm. Quick a flash, she pulled it out of Naruto's shoulder, hastily throwing the weapon to the side and sending a small spray of blood flying after the katana and quickly grabbed Naruto's small body before it could fall to the floor. She looked at his broken form and cradled his small body in her arms as she smoothed his matted and dirty hair out of his face before breaking out into a sprint._

_It was down the corridor that was on her left when she entered the right wing's hub she ran down with her younger companion in her arms. She dodged left and right and jumped over and ducked through burning beams of wood, furniture and parts of the wall before the saw the light coming from the front entrance of the right wing. Anko immediately tucked Naruto's body closer to her own and lowered her head as she barreled through the half-burnt door._

_When she had cleared the burning building with Naruto in hand she immediately began crying out for help from anyone in the immediate vicinity. "Help! Anyone who can here me please help me! My friend is wounded and is suffering from oxygen depravation! I need help!" her strangled voice, due to the loss of oxygen, cried out hopelessly helpless._

_She had nearly given up hope when she blacked out from exhaustion, thinking that whoever had attacked Naruto would come back to finish the job; when in her last moments of consciousness she saw the faint outline of a white rob. She finally collapsed into unconsciousness when a voice reassured her, "Rest easily Anko, we've got you."_

* * *

><p><em>First smell returns when one awakens from slumber; a sterile smell fills Anko's nose as her body functions begin to reboot and the cobwebs in her mind break away as the mind's gear begin to shift into function once more.<em>

_Next comes hearing, thus the reactivation of one's eardrums in the person's head and the ambience of the world. A rhythmic beeping sound fills the air as well as two voices, one a very elderly voice and one a voice of a middle-aged man._

"_Is Anko all right Doctor?"_

_Next came her sight, and thus the glaring white color of the room she was within. She turned her head slightly to find the curtain separating her bed and guest area of her room. Behind the curtain she could discern two silhouettes, one slightly taller than the other person was. _

_She realized that the one with a fixed posture was the Third Hokage himself. Much due to the fact since he was 163 centimeters tall _(five feet, four inches tall) _and the other one standing in front of the Hokage was of a taller build at nearly 178 centimeters tall _(five feet, ten inches). _That and_ _fact that the taller figure had a clipboard in hand that was also shadowed against her curtain._

"_Her condition is stable and all of her wounds have healed, including the wound in her stomach," she heard the doctor say from behind the curtain. "She won't be able to do any strenuous activities for a while, which means she will have to be on medical leave for now Lord Hokage."_

"_It's fine Doctor Takashi. I will sign the necessary documents for her medical absence. In the mean time, tell me about Naruto."_

_There was a long pause and Anko had forgotten to wonder which hospital she was in and instead, wondered about her little brother after the whole incident occurring at their home._

"_There's not much I can say Lord Hokage," she heard in a matter-of-fact tone. "He is in all medical terms healthy, but..." the man, Doctor Takashi, paused for a moment trying to find the right words. "He has amnesia."_

"_I thought you said he was in medical terms healthy," she heard the even tone of the Third Hokage. "So why is it that Naruto has amnesia?"_

"_We performed all preliminary exams and ran secondary scans to detect anything Lord Hokage. We found he was in top health but discovered something odd... It seems as if Mr. Uzumaki is being blocked from his memories. We don't know how he is, but he is. That is why we have diagnosed his condition as amnesia sir. It is possibly the only closest correct term to his condition."_

"_How did you come to this predicament Doctor?" Anko could have sworn she smelt tobacco in the air, but then realized it was mostly faint and that the Hokage must have done so before entering the hospital._

"_When I had gone to talk to Mr. Uzumaki after he had awoken, I had asked him some questions, the general preliminary questions, name, hair color, eye color, birth date, etcetra etc. But when I had asked him about the incident three days prior, he had drawn a blank. When I had probed further, I had discovered that all of his memories, from the ages of five to three, had been all completely gone." He paused when the Hokage put up his hand, knowing he let the words sink in to the eavesdropper of their conversation. _

_Three days long, that was how long she and Naruto were out of it? Amnesia, how did Naruto even contract amnesia? Wait, from ages three to five? Oh Kami that meant Naruto had no recollection of her or Hitomi at all. She choked back a strangled gasp and listened as the two men began to speak once more._

_He nodded to the man._

"_So he has no recollection of anyone at all?" the Third asked._

"_No one unfortunately, other than you and I Lord Hokage," he sighed forlornly, slouching slightly. "He described to me when he tried to remember the events of the past as being just out of his grasp, yet seemed to taunt him that they were so close yet he would never regain them._

"_From my experience as a jonin long ago Lord Hokage, I can only guess that a seal of the highest caliber could do this," he said in an ominous, dark tone._

"_Can you be certain?" When he received a nod in response he added quickly, "Can you do anything about it Takashi?"_

"_I'm sorry Lord Hokage," the former jonin answered in a weak tone, "But the seal that did this is a lost arts seal. One could find them searching the catacombs, tombs, and caves of this earth looking for ninja's hidden cache stashes, yet find a completely different one from another. I know it's a seal, because when we inspected Naruto, we found it placed directly over his heart."_

"_That can only mean-"_

"_Yes... Someone put it so the fact that if we tried to tamper with it in any way, it would result in Mr. Uzumaki's immediate death."_

"_So there's nothing you can do?" the Third Hokage asked after a prolonged expanse of time._

"_I'm sorry Lord Hokage."_

"_Thank you for you time Doctor Takashi," the man said with a wave of his hand, dismissing the Doctor at once. Three seconds later after the light tapping of the Doctor's footsteps, Anko heard the door to her room open and then shut silently. She heard the soft breathing of the Hokage and then heard him begin to walk toward her curtain. "I know your awake Anko, you can't fool me," she heard the aged Hokage chuckle as he drew back the curtains._

"_Can't fool ya, huh Old Man?" the girl asked rhetorically._

"_How do you think I became Hokage?" he laughed back jovially. Anko soon shared a small quiet laugh with him as well, but soon quieted down when the words of the Third Hokage's conversation reminded her. The Third had seen that certain look in her eye when she wanted to do something and immediately answered her before she could ask. "Yes, you may go visit Naruto Anko."_

_A rush of air passed him in the form of a white and purple blur, and he could hear the opening of the door of the room and the 'whoosh!' of air that flew past him as well. He blinked once, twice, then thrice then shook his head slowly with a small smile on his face._

_In room 873 of the hospital she was in, which she knew was the Hidden Leaf General Hospital, Anko had found the resting form of the Hidden Leaf's jinchūriki, Naruto Uzumaki. When she went over to the blonde's resting form, she could see the distant look in his eyes as the young boy gazed out his hospital window._

_She had quickly used a Transformation jutsu to change into her alter ego, Haruka Himatsura, and slowly approached her surrogate brother._

"_Naruto-kun, how are you feeling?" she asked softly. "Are you feeling well at all?"_

"_Hmm?" he asked as he turned his head quickly to the new occupant of his room. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "Oh, I'm fine thank you! What's your name?" He then offered his smaller hand out in a gesture of greeting, "My name's Naruto Uzumaki! The next Hokage!"_

_The transformed Anko smiled widely and offered her hand forward. "Anko's my name kid," she said in a happy tone. When he smiled brightly, he didn't notice the one tear leave her eye and fall to the cold floor. "Nice to meet ya."_

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><p>"Anko... I've been wondering, why did Naruto become the jinchūriki for the Nine-Tailed Fox?" Sakura asked when Anko had finished her story and had taken a sip of her sake. "The Third Hokage said, 'Whom would you trust with a burden?' when you asked him that question... What does it all mean?" the pinkette pondered slightly distraught over her surrogate brother's burden.<p>

"Naruto had sort of mentioned before that he wanted to become Hokage," Tayuya put out, "because he wanted to become just like his old man and his ancestors... I wonder what he meant by that?"

"I'd tell you girls why," Tsunade drawled sloshing the sake in her dish back in forth in a lazy manner. She took a few sips from the dish before setting it down and filling it back up. "But I think it's Naruto's place to tell you guys," she shrugged as she took another drink from the dish. "Keep it between yourselves, and I mean you eavesdroppers as well!" she shouted. When she received raised eyebrows from the other occupants of the stand she shrugged and downed more sake. "Those genin and that one chunin friend of yours sure are nosy Sakura."

Tayuya immediately hopped from her seat and shouted out from behind the stand curtains, cupping her hands for volume, "You guys can come in now if you want to!"

A few voices rang out as the air displaced itself in several areas.

"Troublesome," the voice of one Nara heir sounded from atop a nearby building. When Shikamaru reappeared and hopped down from atop the building, his two teammates, Ino and Choji reappeared as well and followed him into the ramen stand.

"So that is why his fate is heavier than mine," the voice of Neji Hyuga sounded from atop a tree. A blur of white and brown appeared from the leaves, scattering them into the winds and landed at the front of the stand, revealing the Branch House member of the Hyugas. He hesitated for a moment in front of the stand, debating on whether or not to enter the middle-class establishment. He shrugged it off when he remembered he was with his friends and that he wouldn't be judged harshly by them and entered the stand, followed closely behind by Neji and Rock Lee.

"I-I'm s-sorry for list-listening i-in on your co-conversation," Tayuya heard the stammering voice of Neji's cousin, Hinata, from the top of the Ichiraku Ramen Stand.

"Like Tayuya said Hinata, 'Don't worry about it.' So don't worry, all right?" Kiba reassured the stuttering girl.

"Alright," the Hyuga heir mumbled back as she and her teammates jumped down from the roof of the stand and entered the quaint establishment.

"So, why were you guys spying in on our conversation?" the last female Senju drawled out as she took a sip from her sake dish. "I could have you all on nothing but D-ranked missions for life for listening in on top secret village information. So," she said as she refilled her sake dish and turned to the nine eavesdroppers, "who wants to go first?"

Every single one of them had opened their mouths at the same time to speak and excuse their rude behavior, but they were cut off when the only chunin of their group opened his mouth to speak.

"My team and I had approached the Ichiraku Ramen Stand nearly half an hour ago to speak with Tayuya, or Hitomi Harusuki, as you truely turned out to be," he said, gesturing at the redhead, "When we heard about the Pyre of Summer being spoken about. Naturally, since none of us had heard what it was, we all decided to listen in," he naturally drawled.

"It was when you, Lady Hokage, entered into the conversation and talked about the jinchūriki of the Hidden Leaf, that Neji's and his teammates arrived at the area. They as well were here to talk to Tayuya and Sakura about the events and mysteries surrounding our friend Naruto. I had then filled them in on the information we had heard and told them to find a place to hide as well.

"Not but a few minutes later, when Anko started her story about the events of the Pyre of Summer from her point of view, did Hinata and her teammates arrive on the scene. They, along with the rest of us, had all come here for the same reason, though they wanted to also learn more about Tayuya," he chuckle deep within his voice resounded at that, "Now we all want to learn more about her." He cleared his throat once then continued back on track, "Anyway, I, again, filled them in on what we had heard and told them to hide as well. That's pretty much it Lady Tsunade," he shrugged.

"He telling the truth?" Tsunade Senju asked as she looked over all of the newest genin and chunin. They all nodded in agreement and chorused "Yes!" affirming the Nara heir's explanation. "All right, you guy's are not in trouble and you're not getting D-ranked missions for life," she smirked when she saw the three teams exhale heavily. "You guy's will be doing D-rank missions for the next month." All three teams gasped out loud when they heard that, but she wasn't done yet. "And whenever the 'Tora the cat rescue mission' pops up, all of you, Teams Gai, Kurenai and Asuma will be doing it as a joint mission. You will also tasked with rescuing the cat within five hours. Each time you go over the limit, I will add an extra day of D-ranked missions. Is that clear?" she asked sternly.

All of those involved in the eavesdropping had complaints they wanted to voice, but instead, decided to keep it to their selves and not voice their complaints and take their punishment. They all nodded in agreement to their leader and received a stern nod back.

"Also," she said aloud, startling everyone in the stand, "If any information about the events during the Pyre of Summer, Naruto Uzumaki's condition or Tayuya's previous allegiance, I will personally see you put to death for leaking highly-classified village information; is that clear?"

All of the occupants of the stand, the proprietor and worker: Teuchi and Ayame; those closest to Naruto: Anko, Tayuya and Sakura and the eight genin and one chunin: Hinata, Shino, Kiba, Lee, Neji, Tenten, Shikamaru, Ino and Choji, all nodded their heads in agreement to their village head's decree.

"Good," the female Hokage sighed as she downed the last of the sake in her dish and stood up. "I'm off to the Tower now," she waved goodbye as she left the ramen stand.

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><p>Nine hours later, after the Fifth Hokage had left, the time being 7:30, twilight being the position of the sun, only Ayame, Teuchi, Anko, Sakura and Hitomi were still there in the stand. Hinata and Neji had left around 6:00 p.m. to return home for dinner at the Hyuga estate. Thirty minutes later, Tenten and Lee had left to return to their separate homes to prepare their dinner for tonight. It was after Tenten and Lee had left, did everyone discover that Shino had already left for his home back at the Aburume estate. Around 7:00, Ino, Choji and Kiba had all left for home, returning to their respective family estates. Shikamaru had lingered a bit longer than the rest of his peers and opted to discuss and collaborate with the three other women about the information on Naruto. So far, the three of had some information on his father, though it was sketchy at best. It was when they were discussing his mother, that one Yoshino Nara, wife of Shikaku Nara and mother of Shikamaru Nara, came to the ramen stand, around 7:15, stomping in loudly and dragging him out to their home by the ear. They even heard the words, "What a drag," being said followed by a resounding crash. That had everyone sweatdropping due to that odd scene.<p>

During this amount of time, Hitomi had gotten to know the other three teams that Naruto had been with since the chunin-exams nearly a year ago. They had also learned much about Tayuya as well, and had decided that they would rather call her Hitomi instead of the name given to her by Orochimaru. They had to keep their voices down somewhat because of the patrons coming in and out of the Ichiraku Ramen Stand.

It was around this time, twilight, that the ramen stand would close down, though the reason why they closed down this early was the fact that it was Sunday in the Hidden Leaf, and business was usually slow at that time, though today it was more productive.

"Closing time ladies!" the three kunoichis heard from the back room of the stand.

"See ya Old Man Teuchi!" Hitomi shouted as she slammed 1,000 ryu on the counter. "Keep the change as well!" she said to the gapping Ayame and left the ramen stand with Sakura and Anko following behind her.

"Where'd ya get the money Hitomi?" the purple haired kunoichi asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I was one of Orochimaru's adjutants, remember? Though the guy was a bastard, he paid his most powerful subordinates well." The redhead chuckled mirthlessly as she walked down the lit up street with her friends. "Luckily I still had my money all with me in a sealing scroll," she said, patting her right hip pocket.

After fifteen minutes of walking, navigating through the restaurant district of the Hidden Leaf and pedestrians, the three kunoichis had arrived at the center of the Hidden Leaf.

"So," Sakura said awkwardly, "Which way you heading to Hitomi-chan?"

"Huh? Oh! I think I'll crash at Anko-nee's place for a while. Until I can get my own place that is."

"Okay then. I'll be at Training Ground Seven in the morning if you need me okay Hitomi? Oh! Here's my address if you want to come over some day." The pink haired kunoichi quickly pulled out a small piece of scroll paper and a pencil and quickly scribbled her address onto it and pocketed her pencil. She pushed into Hitomi's open palm and ran off to the northwestern sector of the residential district. "See ya guys later!" she shouted behind her back with a wave as she sped towards home.

"C'mon Hitomi," Anko said as she turned around, facing towards the southwestern sector of the residential district, "Let's go home." She briskly walked away from the redhead, her hands behind her head, arms up.

"Home," Hitomi mumbled to herself as she looked to the night sky and gazed upon the constellation Megami no Tenshi, Hikari and silently prayed with her eyes closed, 'I wish that Naruto will be safe through out his travels, until he is back with me and everyone else.' She opened her eyes once more and ran after Anko.

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><p>'<em><strong>The dreams she wishes for<br>**__**Shall be granted  
><strong>__**The hopes she chases  
><strong>__**Shall be realized  
><strong>__**By her love and protector  
><strong>__**The Child of Revolution.'**_

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><p>"You done yet kid?" a bruised up and bloody Jiraiya asked, with a Rasengan in his right palm and five shadow clones armed with kunais and shurikens standing behind him.<p>

"Not on your life Gramps," Naruto retorted, armed with his sword the Eienkage, with fifty clones stood behind him, all armed with kunais and shurikens.

In a forest nearly one hundred kilometers east of the wall of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, stood the figures of grandfather and grandson, Jiraiya and Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, respectively. Both were standing within a crater, two meters deep (6 feet and 6.7 inches) at the lowest point and fifteen meters (49 feet and 2 inches) in diameter. The clearing they were in though was mostly man-made, many tree toppled all over the areas, branches and leaves scattered everywhere, kunais and shurikens imbedded into the ground or trees, many of the trees being destroyed near the base of the trunk.

The two had settled for testing out Naruto's strengths using only all him and no Nine-Tail's chakra, though Naruto was unaware of the fact that he was even being tested. So far the test had lasted for well over three hours. Naruto had landed many hits in the beginning of the fight, but then Jiraiya became semi-serious in the fight. After that, Naruto had to do nothing but guerilla style fighting with his grandfather, using mainly Shadow Clones to distract and catch him off guard. When Jiraiya had almost landed the finishing blow and ended the test, Naruto had pulled out his Eienkage and made a surprising come back later on in the fight. For the next hour and a half, the fight had been nothing but a back and forth fight between Jiraiya and his blonde haired grandson, neither giving any ground.

Now was the time both would decide who would win the fight and who would lose.

"You're paying for the next six months if you lose kid!" the Toad Sage shouted as he and his clones launched themselves at the hoard of orange clothed genin.

"All the more reason why I should win Old Man!" all of the Naruto clones, and the original blonde haired genin, shouted as they charged at one another.

"CHARGE!"

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><p><strong>End of Three Years arc: Episode I<strong>

**Revisit the Past**

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><p><strong>Author's Rant (or notes):<strong>

**They need frigging numerical data on the Hidden Leaf's size! I can't make land estimates and such if I can't!**

**I don't even think there's a real map! (*Facepalm*) I'm making my own in descriptions! And if there is a map for the Hidden Leaf, tell me the URL address so I can reference off of it! I saw one that was a 'map' of the Leaf, yet it was at an angle and had some areas frigging cut off!**

**Anyway (*grumbles*) the Hidden Leaf has three main entrances: the South, East and West. There is no north entrance due to the fact that the Hokage Mountain is there. You know what? I'll explain in the next chapter instead.**

**Played Call of Duty: Black Ops and World at War and now Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare 2. I have got to say that the enemy difficulty is annoying as well as the ally intelligence. Really, can you make the game any more stupid than that? I swear that some of the soldiers in the group can't even fire a gun, and why can't they use grenades? And also, how is that the enemies even know your coming to flank them, when they're being shot at... Never mind. I think those games take Murphy's Laws of War to a whole new level.**

**Here' one Murphy's Law of War: Never share a foxhole with someone braver than you.**

**Murphy's Law: Anything that can happen will happen.**

**I will describe people, but only when they are in small numbers, like when I described Naruto, Tayuya, Jiraiya, Kakashi and Tsunade. I will only describe people in detail when there are small groups of people.**

Oricalcum (or Orichalcum): Oricalcum in ancient myth is said to be an alloy made of bronze and gold, or gold and silver. It gives off an orange-red glow and is said to be a very malleable metal.

**In fantasy games, oricalcum is said to be a metal that is renown for its magical and physical properties and is said to be the world's strongest metal, most notably in the Final Fantasy world and its spin off games.**

**Damascus: A metal once forged in the Middle East. Said to be some of the strongest of metals (for its time) and has given rise to many legends about the metal's abilities.**

**Adamantite (or Adamantium or Adamantine): A strong metal said to be akin to the carbon-based diamond. Used in fiction mainly as a super-rare and indestructible metal, it is alike to Oricalcum in fantasy stories for its power.**

**Also, I will use some of the Japanese phrases, but not the overrated, overused ones. Itadakimasu will be one of the few I use. Some, like Sayonara, will be used for dramatic affects. I also found out 'Yo!' is Japanese word that means 'Hey!' So yo will be used frequently, but mainly by Naruto and Tayuya (Hitomi).**

**I found out ROOT does not have any base uniform other than the clothing Sai (not his real name by the way, I'll come up with one later) usually wears, but I think it's probably different for females in ROOT. I think... Would be sorta weird seeing those girls running around with their midriffs exposed... (*Facepalm*) Dear Kami Jiraiya would have a field day. **

**Get the hell out of Tanzaku Quarters = Get the Hell out of Dodge (City). If you don't know what Dodge City is, look up the gunfight at O.K. Corral.**

**I'm crying again remembering Zack's death from Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core. Such a great man, an honorable warrior. When I was a child I always wanted to have wings; the song has compounded that feeling even more after that. No, not just the song, but the game itself. If a person like Zack existed, I would salute him every day I wake up and go to bed. **

**But I also must remember that there are people like that each day, our soldiers who are fighting for the freedom our ancestors paid with their blood, sweat and tears. And thus, I salute those brave men and women in our armed forces.**

"**If you want to be a hero you hero, you have to have dreams... and honor..."**

"**Unattainable dreams are the best kind..."**

"**Embrace your dreams... and whatever happens... protect you honor... as SOLDIER!"**

"**Hey... Would you say... I became a hero?"**

**Those words of Angeal Harvey and Zack Fair will always be my guidelines to be a better person. And what Director Lazard had said about dreams, dreams out of your reach are always the ones you will strive toward no matter what.**

**Square Enix owns those people; I don't own Director Lazard, Angeal or Zack from Crisis Core.**

**Shika = deer, but Shikaku = assassin or game of logic. Thus we see why they, the Nara's, heard deer.**

**Megami no Tenshi, Hikari: a deity in the Naruto Universe; Goddess of Victory and Bringer of Light; may use her as a plot-support character later in the story.**

**Now I have Maito Gai who will talk to you for a bit. Gai, if you would so gladly?**

**THE POWER OF YOUTH! LET YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH BURN BRIGHTLY MY YOUNG FRIENDS! PUSH THE LINK THAT SAYS REVIEW AND LEAVE A YOUTHFUL AND FLAMINGLY PASSIONATE COMMENT, MY YOUTHFUL FRIENDS! NO FLAMES OF UNYOUTHFULNESS SHALL BE TOLERATED, OR I, MAITO GAI, SHALL SHOW YOU MY YOUTHFULNESS! NOW GO OUT THERE AND SPREAD MY YOUTHFUL FRIEND ENVOY OF THE WHITE MOON'S YOUTHFUL STORY TO YOUR YOUTHFUL AND FLAMINGLY PASSIONATE FRIENDS!**


	5. First Trial: Drive!

Memories Lost, Lingering Futures

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><p><strong>Author's Rant: I am the Lord of All! Bow down before me puny mortals!<strong>

**Okay, now that my omniscidal persona has spoken, lets' get onto my real author's rant.**

**This chapter contains my first, very first, ever written fight scene. If it's crappy, please help me out with it then! Anyway, no heavy flamers as well.**

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><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong>

**Yes! People have voted in the poll! I'll be closing it when I put out my next chapter, not this one, and be revealing the other poll! Now the results so far for the poll:**

**As of 10/1/11**

**Do you like Tayuya's birth name Hitomi?**

**Yes: 5 votes**

**No: 1 vote**

**I like it, but I like the old name better: 5**

**Vote people!**

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><p><strong>4,922 hits so far to the story Memories Lost, Lingering Futures! 2591 visitors to the story Memories Lost, Lingering Futures! An average of two views per visitor! Keep reading people!<strong>

**Authors replies to the reviews for Memories Lost, Lingering Futures: Chapter 4: Revisit the Past:**

**grimangel163: I hate that about CoD! And yes, I've already explained it, so I don't feel like typing it again.**

**ScrimjaNinja: I will of course keep up the standard I have written this story by! Why wouldn't I? And thanks for reviewing after Gai's youthful speech.**

**Gold Testament: Already P. him so there is no need to tell others about my response to his review.**

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><p><strong>Also, here is my description of the Hidden Leaf Village:<strong>

****The main hub of the Hidden Leaf would be something one would consider the crossroads of the Hidden Leaf's districts. It is the area where the Ninja Academy, Arena and Hokage Tower are located. It is considered the main hub, due to the fact it is where travelers and civilians alike, traverse from district to distinct. North of the Hokage's Tower, on the mountains behind the Hokage Monument, lies the headquarters of the Hidden Leaf's most elite group of ninja, the ANBU Black Ops. The main hub also counts the roads traveling south, west and east to the three main entrances. The main facilities of the Leaf: the Hokage Tower, Arena, and Ninja Academy, are part of the main hub due to the flow of people to and from these locations at certain times. All smaller districts that are in direct contact with the main hub or the main roads leading to the gates are considered part of the main hub.****

**To the east was the restaurant district, the 'main street' of the Hidden Leaf itself. The housing for the restaurant owners and proprietors are all located at the backs of each shop. To the northeast of that was a large fenced off forested area, nearly 12 kilometers in diameter (six miles in diameter), the Forest of Death, Training Ground Forty-Four. The area nearest it was the business district, lying directly south of the training grounds, so it would be the out most eastern district in the Leaf. The district had the usual stores: a grocery, a butcher's shop, a clothing store, and a pharmacy. To the southwest of that lay a few of the smaller training grounds. Though the most famous of the training grounds was Training Ground Seven. It was not only where the Legendary Three Ninja's of the Hidden Leaf were recruited into the Leaf's forces, but also where Sakura's team, Team Kakashi, was trained. That and the fact that it had a national monument there: the Hero's Memorial.**

**Scattered throughout the eastern section of the Hidden Leaf were clan estates of the Aburume, Akimichi, Inuzuka and Yamanaka, though the estates were away from the viewing and prying eyes of the civilians and visiting shinobi, if any. It was mainly due to what these clans produced and sold at the markets in the business district. **

**Since the Aburume had a pact with the insects they come across, they controlled the silk produced within the village, and were the main suppliers for 90% of the Hidden Leaf's export of silk. **

**The Inuzukas lived relatively close to the Forest of Death, though at a very safe distance of course, and were sometimes employed as hunters for beasts that lived within the forests. That is why one would see a hunting pack of Inuzukas and their canine companions heading out and not coming back for days. Usually they captured tigers and sold the skin for clothing or other things and the bones to be used as tools, or used in medicines. The meat they would give to the butcher shops to supply them. Sometimes though they would come across rare and powerful beast within the forests. Will use that information later in story, so don't forget it.**

**The Yamanaka clan estate would mostly be in-between the hospital areas and business districts. It is mainly due to the flower shop that the Yamanaka clan owns. They are, of course, flower salesmen. But they also grow a number of wild plants. The reason why is because they are used in the medicines by the hospitals and they also export some of the plants to other countries for medicine. **

**And of course, to the farthest east of the main hub is the eastern gate of the Hidden Leaf Village, the Gate of the Eastern Dragon, Seiryu. **

**To the southeast of the hub was the hospital and financial district of the village. Though the Hidden Leaf has hit some hard times, mostly due to the Nine-Tail's attack on their village, the Joint Sound/Sand Invasion that occurred nearly eight months ago, the Hidden Leaf has been able to steadily climb back up to a AA rating score for its economy. Though this is mainly due to the fact that the business district has been receiving different seals for different purposes from an unknown source.**

**Another clan located around the hospital and financial district is the Nara Clan. The antlers from the deers on the Nara estate are used for powder medicines and are sometimes mixed with other medicines to produce high-grade medicine. The effects of the deer antlers have thus been kept a secret and only the clan head knows the secrets of the antlers. The Naras also play a big part in the financial district due to the fact of their high intelligence. Most Naras are not only taught to be ninja, but also stockbrokers and shareholders. Trust a Nara with your wallet if you want to, some have been known to be sharks. **

**The gate towards the south, closing off the housing and business districts to the open world is the Gate of the Southern Phoenix, Suzuka.**

**To the west of the main hub, occupying nearly forty percent of the Hidden Leaf's infrastructure, was the residential district. It is mostly due to the population size of the Hidden Leaf, numbering nearly 100,000 people, most of the population being civilians. Because of the AA credit rating score of the Leaf, most housing in the Hidden Leaf is a mix of western and eastern type architecture (That means the architecture of the Hidden Leaf's housing district look like a mixture of Western [American] and Eastern [Asian, mostly Japanese]). The older sectors, the northwestern sectors to be specific, of the Housing district are mainly comprised of old pre-First Ninja War era eastern architecture. But now it is usually where only the old or rich live. But the size of the Northeastern Sector, commonly known as the Leaf's Home, makes up nearly 50% of the Housing district. The ancestral homes of the Hyuga, Hatake, Sarutobi, Senju and Uchiha are thus located in the Leaf's Home and are the reason why this sector is named as such. At least three kilometer of dense bamboo forests, forests, rocky terrain, water or other natural boundaries separate each clan estate. **

**The Uchiha clan estate is located on the fringe of both the northwestern district and the western district. The clan was also considered the military police force of the Hidden Leaf and charged with its domestic protection. The clan estate was the home of the Uchihas, one of the two main founding clans of the Hidden Leaf, yet the clan with the bloodiest history. The Uchiha clan estate though has since been abandoned due to the fact of the Uchiha Massacre and its last remaining masters being missing-nins. Long before Sasuke Uchiha's desertion of the Hidden Leaf, he would sleep within an apartment above his old home on the Uchiha clan grounds. **

**Towards the mountains of the Hokage Monument and near the edge forest of the Hidden Leaf lies the home of one the most powerful of clans, the Hatakes. Sakumo Hatake's home, once a small modest home in the backwoods of the village, became the base of the Hatake clan estate when he became renown during the Second Ninja War. The Hatake clan estate is considered now a Lower House due to the fact of one Sakumo Hatake's ostracization for saving his allies and not completing the mission and thus committing Seppuku. His son, Kakashi Hatake, lives within the halls of his father on occasion, yet never truely stays there long, for the memories of his parents who died within those walls still haunts him.**

**The Hyuga clan estate is located near the Hokage Tower, though still a kilometer from any open area, and just south of the Hatake Estate by at least two kilometer as well. Home of the Hyugas, a group of people with a dōjutsu kekkei genkai called the Byakugan, it is one of the most oldest of all the grounds within the Hidden Leaf, second only to the Uchiha and Senju clan grounds. The elevation of the estate is on top of hilly terrain, thus giving the guards of the clan a better vantagepoint for incoming infiltrators. The grounds themselves are well kept and have several Sakura Trees lining the main road to the Hyuga estate's gate. If one were to look at the Hyuga clan grounds, one would see that there are two main buildings separated from one another. That is because the clan is divided into two houses and has thus caused much strife and mistrust between the two...**

**(* See information of the Caged Bird Seal and Cloud Ambassador Incident. *)**

**The ancestral home of the Senjus is located towards the northwestern wall of the Hidden Leaf Village. The home in itself is actually apart of the wall. When Hashirama Senju built the forest around the Hidden Leaf Village and the walls protecting it, he incorporated his own home into the structure of the wall. He did so that, in case the Leaf was to be attacked, he and the rest of his family, the Senjus would be able to launch a counteroffensive from within the safety of the walls. Not only was his home connected to the walls, but also there were tunnels coming from the estate connecting to all of the trees surrounding the Leaf. The Forest of Death in truth was a stronghold built long ago incase the Leaf ever fell. It is due to the fact that Hashirama Senju built the Forest as a precautionary step so that the sole survivors of the raid would be able to travel through the tunnels to the stronghold at the center of the forest. **

**And no it's not the tower there; it's a giant ash tree called Yggdrasil. Tsunade, Last of the Senjus, though does not live within the walls of her grandfather and granduncle. She has, before her time as the Fifth Hokage, kept herself away from her home due to old wounds. Now...**

**All of this was built when the Leaf was nothing more than a military center during the reign of the First Hokage. It was during the reign of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, that the ANBU, Hokage Tower, Chunin Exams, the Ninja Academy and the Hidden Leaf Military Police Force were established to structure the Hidden Leaf's government, security and education of future recruits. The ANBU, during that time, was regulated and headed by the Hidden Leaf's White Fang, Sakumo Hatake. The Chunin Exams and the Ninja Academy have also during that time been regulated by the Sarutobis, even to this day. The Uchihas were thus given command of the Leaf's Military Police Force as a sign of faith towards the Uchiha clan.**

**The Sarutobis, a former group of civilians before the time of the Hidden Leaf Village, have now become a distinct group of the ninja clans due to one Sasuke Sarutobi. The clan estate is located towards the Hokage Tower and the Ninja Academy and can be seen by the public. During the First Ninja War, in which an all out battle royal occurred between all five Hidden Villages, Sasuke Sarutobi gained great fame for fighting off the First Kazekage and the First Mizukage single handedly. Tobirama Senju, after the attack that occurred by the Cloud's Gold and Silver brothers, nominated Sasuke Sarutobi for the position of Hokage if there were ever to be a time when he never returned. Sasuke refused; he instead nominated his son, Hiruzen Sarutobi, as the Hokage candidate. Tobirama had accepted Sasuke's request reluctantly, but on his last mission, in which he would die a death in battle, took it to heart and proclaimed Sasuke's son as the next Hokage. When Hiruzen returned to the Leaf to tell his father the news, he was greeted by the sight of his dead father, lying in bed as if fast asleep. Since the twilight of Sasuke Sarutobi's life, the Sarutobis are considered one of the last remaining founding clans of the Leaf, along with the Hyuga. **

**Hybrid eastern-western buildings mainly dominate the remaining 50% of the residential districts of the Hidden Leaf. The district covers nearly four kilometers in any direction from the main hub starting from the west and ending in the south. The buildings mainly consist of apartments and townhouses built atop one another for more population growth. Towards the outer fringes of the housing district lie its more rural homes. The apartment complexes that make up the Leaf range from normal single housing, to middle-class housing made of one floor of a complex. Some apartment complexes, like the ones Kakashi Hatake, Naruto Uzumaki and Anko Mitarashi lived in, are empty and have thus been cleaned out and made for that person's own personal use.**

**To the west of the housing district, separating it from the outside world, is the Gate of the Western Tiger, Byakko.**

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><p><strong>I'm not sure what this whole map would come out to be, but it's crazy with the fact that the creator of the Hidden Leaf doesn't have an official frigging map. Sure they have a nice gallery shot of it, but do they have a frigging schmatics of it, no! <strong>

**So I want to make it clear with everyone who is reading this: If. You. Can. Do. Landscaping. On. The. Hidden Leaf. And. Make. It. Look. Good. I. Will. Praise. The. Ground. You. Walk. On.**

**Also, if any of you are Japanese mythology junkies and think I'm wrong labeling the West as the territory of the White Tiger Byakko and not Kirin, you are dead wrong. "The Kirin is said to have the body of a deer, the tail of an ox, the hooves of a horse, a body covered with the scales of a fish, and a single horn." That sounds more like a frigging mutated unicorn to me!**

**(*Mutters incoherently*) Anyway, I'm on to the story now! Also please note that this starts at the end of the third chapter and picks up from Naruto's point of view so as to not confuse people.**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto owns that series.<strong>

**Starting time of chapter: 4:00 p.m. Thursday, October 11, 2011.**

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><p><strong>Three Years Arc: Episode II<strong>

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><p><strong>First Trial: Drive!<strong>

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><p><em><strong>'A persons most difficult part of the journey is not the journey itself<br>**__**But the first step that begins it  
><strong>__**The journey of unlimited experiences  
><strong>__**Starts with the first step out of the door'**_

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><p>"Did you pick the Eastern Gate because it was the closest exit towards Cloud, or did you want a dramatic exit from the Leaf?" Naruto asked his grandfather as they walked along the main highway towards Lightning Country, having already reached ten kilometers from the Eastern Gate.<p>

"Eh," the Toad Sage shrugged. "I wasn't actually thinking about the dramatic exit thing to tell you the truth. I just, did what I did," was Naruto's grandfather's reply.

"Oh," Naruto spoke as his mouth formed an 'O' shape, believing what his grandfather had said. Afterward, the two lapsed into a relaxed posture, yet a trained ninja were to look at them, they would have noticed the subtle differences in relaxed and ready to strike at a hair's notice.

Naruto hadn't taken his eyes off the road the entire time they had left the Hidden Leaf. Yet, if one had the expertise of a Kage level ninja, they would have noticed the subtle movements of his eyes shifting right and left and the twitching of his nose. The slight twitching in his digits and the small puff of smoke appearing at random intervals near the soles of his sandals would also have alerted Kage level ninjas that he was somehow subtly communicating with someone.

All around Naruto, he noticed the slight breeze coming from the direction of the north. To anyone else, it would seem fine. But to Naruto, he noticed the fact that the wind seemed unnatural, as if driven by some force. From what he deduced from his nose, he could tell that the wind was saturated with chakra, a very dark and menacing chakra at that. The wind also carried the smell of iron, ink, and blood; someone was following them.

The blonde boy shot glances at his grandfather and hoped that the old goat would make contact with him.

Jiraiya on the other hand, already knew what was going on around both him and his apprentice/godson/grandson. From the moment that they had reached a kilometer in distance from the walls of the Hidden Leaf, Jiraiya knew that they were being followed. He would have taken care of them himself, but he had an even better idea.

"What's the wildlife around here Naruto?" the Toad Sage asked out of the blue.

"Huh?"

"I said, 'What's the wildlife around here Naruto?'" he again asked cryptically.

"What's the wildlife around here? It's- Oh!" Naruto exclaimed triumphantly as he pounded his right fist into his open left palm.

What Jiraiya had asked by, "What's the wildlife like?" was a cryptic message developed by the Legendary Three Ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village during their deployment in Grass Country* when the Third Shinobi War was raging across the Elemental Countries' lands. It was when Orochimaru, Jiraiya and Tsunade were returning from an S-ranked mission involving the sabotaging of several bridges, supply depots and other key installations in the Hidden Rock war machine that they came up with this encrypted message and several others. The three of them had been ambushed by three squads of jonins and five squads of chunin and were caught off guard. Luckily, all three of them were able to call forth their Boss-Summons. Afterward, the three had adopted a number of messages that only they understood and could thus counter anything.

The "What's the wildlife like?" was a question they would ask one of the others if they ever returned form scouting. The codes to signal what the strength of the enemies, or allies, would be coded like a bear, wolves, lion, dragon, ox, boar, eagle, falcon, hawk, shark, fish etc. Usually when the said it was a carnivore they would mean a jonin level ninja. Bear would be for Rock ninjas, wolves would be for Sand ninjas, lions would be Leaf ninjas, falcons would be Cloud ninjas and the sharks would be the Mist ninjas. If they said it were a flock, or a herd, it meant there was a large group of ninjas, most likely three squads of ninjas, depending on what animal was described along with the size.

It was due to those encrypted messages that Tsunade, Jiraiya and Orochimaru were able to fight so long against Hanzo and receive the title of The Legendary Three Ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village. Though years later, only Jiraiya remembered the messages they used as a team. Once he passed them onto the Fourth Hokage, his son.

Jiraiya himself had taught Naruto it as part of strategy and awareness when they were on their journey to find Tsunade Senju and ask her to become the Fifth Hokage. Though he did not teach that to begin with. In truth it took a very hard beating from Naruto to actually make Jiraiya teach him more on tactics and strategy.

From what the Toad Sage had seen of his new protege's battle tactics, he was quite surprised that it was all sloppy and had no styles to it nor a flow to it. But that was when he looked at it above the surface.

When the Toad Sage had stopped on day on their journey to spar against his grandson, he was quite surprised he hadn't lost. There were several times in which, if Jiraiya were a lesser man, Naruto would have left him for dead on the battlefield. The Toad Sage would have credited all to Naruto's incredible luck, but he knew Naruto didn't rely on luck alone.

When Jiraiya looked over Naruto's battle strategies and tactics, again, and truely scrutinized them, he was blown away.

If the mind of a Nara is a maze, the Naruto's mind is a jigsaw puzzle with each piece being a three-dimensional maze!

Jiraiya was in truth surprised when he found this out and discovered Naruto's true abilities. How could no one realize that Naruto was an untapped resource brimming with such potential?

The next chance he would get to truely test Naruto would not be for another month due to the fiasco with Akatsuki, Orochimaru and Tsunade's inauguration as the Fifth Hokage. But when he did, he wasn't prepared enough for that situation. This was also when Jiraiya had learned that Naruto had known who his father, mother, and grandfather were; though he suspected Naruto also knew who his grandmother was. After having the _two_ Rasengans shoved into his gut, Jiraiya had proceeded to a training ground far from the main districts of the Leaf and then commenced with the test.

The test was a battle scenario in which he placed Naruto and five of his clones head-to-head, with the real Jiraiya being the objective to find, capture or defeat. It seemed that after five minutes of battle that the blonde was going to lose, even when his clones were holding back. It looked even more desperate when he had launched clones out of nowhere and surprised Jiraiya's clones yet fail in the attack. Jiraiya had, again, been lucky that he was a high-level ninja and nothing less. He thought he had won the scenario when out of nowhere, a high-level destruction seal, detailed with a high-chakra capacity seal, and activation and detonation seal, covering nearly a half-kilometer activated itself and leveled the whole area, even where Jiraiya was hiding! This time, not even the Toad Sage's abilities could have prepared him for that.

The Toad Summoner of the Legendary Three Ninjas had jumped out of the sealing circle and escaped the following massive explosion only to run into heavy resistance from Naruto clones armed to the teeth with kunai, wakizashis, katanas, shurikens, fuma-shirkens, wind-mill shurikens and Rasengans! Jiraiya had literally hopped out of the fryer and into the blender! The resulting battle between the clones and Jiraiya was to say the least epic. Jiraiya had even gone all out after the one-hundredth clone and the fiftieth wound and proceeded to level the entire training grounds. When the dust had settled, the whole of the training ground appeared to be a barren wasteland with weapons scattered about, craters all around, leveled trees, obliterated trunks and smoking patches of grass and dirt. Jiraiya had fought against five hundred clones and sustained nearly ten-major wounds and at least a hundred smaller, superficial wounds with a knocked out Naruto lying before him.

The author of the Icha-Icha Series believed he had won. He had looked around the training ground they had used, and marveled at the fact that his own grandson had pushed him, the Toad Sage, to his limits. Lucky they had chosen a training ground near the edge of the Leaf or else Tsunade would be lickity-split. When he had gone over the grounds where Naruto's explosion seal went off at, he again marveled at the ingenuity of the seal, or what was left of it. The brush strokes on the remaining portion of the seal were flawless and had even several additional strokes he had never even seen before.

As the white-haired jonin was prepared to pick Naruto up when he felt a sharp object pressed against his temple, neck, throat, arms, and legs while six sharp objects were aimed at his torso. The places where the sharp objects were pressed against were above his heart, liver, both lungs, liver and stomach. His resulting surrender had shown him that the Naruto lying before him was just nothing more than a Shadow clone pumped with a high amount of chakra. This whole mock-battle had taken place in-between the time of Tsunade's inauguration as Hokage and Sasuke's Betrayal of the Leaf Village.

It was after that that Naruto had told him he had been holding back the whole time during his years. When Jiraiya had asked him about it, his grandson had told him that he had left himself some clues behind incase the knowledge he once had was sealed away or lost. The Third Hokage, when he was alive, had told him that his memories had been sealed of three days prior to his reawakening. When Naruto had returned to the site of his home, he had found something that caught his eye. It was just a normal leather-bound book with a spiral on the front cover, but that wasn't what caught his eye. It was the title of the book. "Secrets of Naruto Uzumaki" was the title.

When Naruto had read over the book, which took him a year, he had quickly dredged up a good portion of his blocked memories, including tactics, strategies, theories on seals and jutsus and the like. Naruto had wanted to use the things he had learned from the book, but the book warned him about drawing unwanted attention to himself. But, it also told him he could possibly fool people into believing he was less than he was, thus gaining the advantage of underestimation from his opponents.

Naruto had told his grandfather, while they were on their trip to find Tsunade, that he was quiet frustrated with the fact that he could go all out and squash all of those who had looked down and belittled him. But whenever he was so close to doing so, the image of his mother and father would always appear before him. The sight of their smiling, happy faces would always cause his bloodlust and anger to abate and his self-control and will come back and empower him to win.

Jiraiya had just clapped on the back and smiled at his grandson for being such a great kid. He in turn received a true smile from his only remaining descendent.

Afterward, the day following, at dusk Jiraiya had taken Naruto off to Training Ground 7 and sat him down and was mildly surprised to find out that Naruto actually was sitting calmly and even had several Shadow Clones out ready to write down all information given. For nearly twelve hours, Jiraiya had not only taught him about tactics, awareness and leadership, but also in several jutsus and high-level seals. When the Pervy-Sage had given Naruto instructions on how to do a particular high-level seal, the Otherworld Summoning Seal, his grandson had taken it to like a fish to water. He was even more surprised when Naruto had summoned up about fifty clones and instructed them to toy with the seal and modify it.

By the end of that day, on hour twelve, Naruto's clones had come up with five new variations of the seal. One of them was a Summoning contract, yet this one could call up any person, even from any time in their world. When Jiraiya was prepared to turn that over to Tsunade and label it a Forbidden Jutsu, Naruto had stopped him and told him that scroll in itself was not even close to complete. Hell, Naruto told him that it was so damn risky that it could level an area four kilometers in diameter due to the fact it still needed modifications.

One Summoning Scroll Naruto had completed was called the Legendary Weapons Graveyard. When Naruto had shown him the summoning in action, the young blonde had drawn a fairly large seal, nearly a quarter of a kilometer in diameter, and activated it. Instantly, swords appeared out the sky and stabbed into the ground and stayed there. Many of them looked quite strange to Jiraiya and Naruto due to the fact that some of the looked like Western swords. One that was strange was a Nodachi with a 213-centimeter long blade. One even looked like it was made up of five swords shaped components and a base sword that looked like a Zanbato. Another that was odd was the one with bubble emerging from the tip of the sword, which was shaped like a hook. One had a strange guard with a chain dangling from the pommel with a lion's head attached to it.

Even though it was strange, Jiraiya had wanted the scroll to be kept under tight watch, including all the other seals that Naruto had made, due to the fact Jiraiya would believe that his grandson could take an already high-level seal and turn it into an even more dangerous seal. Hell, Jiraiya believed he could take a simple compression seal and turn it into a seal that could take out an entire village if given enough time to work. Jiraiya possibly believed that any descendent of his could be Seal Masters. But Naruto assured him that no one would get the scrolls anyway.

**(Back to the part before I had deviated...)**

Naruto immediately stretched out his senses and attuned them to the surroundings around him. He could hear the faint rustle of leaves in the breeze, the movement of small woodland creatures, and the calm breathing of the animals around him. With his nose, he could smell the scent of many woodland creatures, the bark of the trees and the smell of burnt wood and ash.

All of a sudden, a rush of information had entered his mind causing the blonde genin to smirk as he scrolled through the information in his mind.

'Thank Kami for Shadow Clones and the Transformation Jutsu,' Naruto mentally thanked the highest deity in the heavens.

"I think theirs a pack of tigers to the northwest Old Man," Naruto pointed to the forested area past the highway.

"Are we in any danger of being attacked by the tigers Naruto?" the Toad Sage said as he played along.

"Nah, they're about a quarter of a kilometer away from us. It'll be a while before they reach us. But they do seem to be heading towards our general location at a fast pace gramps," the blonde haired jinchūriki tapped his chin when another tidbit of information was received in his brain. "They have a scout tiger off nearby us gramps. I'd say it's a teenaged one."

"Got it," Jiraiya responded as he and Naruto continued on their path to the Village Hidden in the Clouds.

Over in a nearby tree, crouching slightly was a shinobi wearing camouflage that consisted of black and gray instead of brown and green, and a forehead-protector with a music symbol engraved into the metal plate. His Sound uniform, only distinguishing his eyes, which were a common brown, covered his face and mouth, and thus removed all signs of individuality. The shinobi's current task, designated by his squad leader, was to scout out the target and find any weaknesses involving the two.

"What the hell does a tiger have to do with any of this?" the shinobi muttered to himself. "And how in the world is there a pack of tigers? I thought tigers were solitary hunters. And last I checked, I don't think there were any tigers living in this region of the Fire Country."

"Very astute deduction good sir," a deep baritone voice behind the shinobi said. The shinobi whirled around, drawing a kunai from his thigh holster and was prepared to stab to owner of the voice when his arm was suddenly grabbed and twisted around his back, followed by a slap on the back, and an object left behind, and his arm being released. The Sound shinobi snarled as he whirled around once more to stare down at the two targets he was tasked to observe so that his squad could eliminate them.

"Ah, what the fuck, ah, did you put on my, guh, back?" the shinobi snarled as his arms struggled to reach for the object that the older man slapped onto his back.

Naruto just smirked as his fingers crossed one another and a ram seal. The Sound shinobi's eyes widened as he frantically reached with his hands for the seal on his back, trying his best to avoid death.

"Seal release!"

Nearly a quarter of a kilometer away from the location of a squad of Sound ninjas, comprised of a jonins, kunoichis and shinobis, with a kunoichi squad leader, a large explosion sounded off, rocking the whole forest and sending out a powerful shockwave of wind. The explosion even caused a cloud of smoke to rocket into the atmosphere before it mushroomed out.

"Squad leader Yumita, do you think it was wise to send our demolition expert out to scout out our target?" one of the uniformed kunoichis asked.

"It was the easiest way to get rid of the targets," Kuwara Yumita grunted as she turned towards the direction of the explosion, her arms folded over her chest. "Standard protocol; X-formation," she muttered as she leapt off into the destroyed area of the forest.

"Yes ma'am!" the team of seven jonins sounded as they proceeded into X-formation and leapt after their commanding officer.

Five minutes later, the squad leader and her subordinates landed in a fairly large crater, with blast marks all over the place, destroyed trees, smoking carcasses of dead animals and burning grass and their demolitions expert sitting on a destroyed tree stump. When they had reached him, he was currently digging something out of his teeth with a senbon needle.

"Report!" Kuwara commanded.

"Keep your panties on Kuwara-chan," the demolitions expert, one Keitaro Mitazawa drawled as he waved his hand lazily.

"You're not supposed to talk like that to your squad leader Mitazawa!" the jonin growled as she drew a kunai from her holster.

"All right! All right already! Sheesh!" the chunin exclaimed as he stood up. "Twelve minutes ago when I arrived at the treetops and observed the two targets, they both seemed unaware of my presence. About three minutes into my spying, they began talking about the wildlife, saying that there was a pack of tigers to the northwest and that there was a teenaged tiger nearby them.

"When I had muttered to myself about the flaws of tiger activity in this area, I was jumped by the older man, in which he placed an Explosive Seal on my back. Seconds later, the kid that was traveling with him used a seal release of the Explosive Seal. Luckily, since I'm a demolition expert, I was able to remove the tag and fling at them before using an Earth Style: Mud Wall Jutsu." Keitaro hissed as he rolled his left shoulder, some smoke rising from his left shoulder. "I didn't make it out completely though."

"Tch, serves you right you dumbass." Kuwara surveyed they area and noted the lack of bodies. "Where are there bodies Mitazawa?"

"Where do ya think they are?" he asked irritably. "Their bodies are vaporized of course."

"Can you move at all?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," the chunin grunted. "So, can we go now?"

The jonin kunoichi nodded as she turned to her squad. "Dismissed! Return back to base and debrief with the company leader." She then turned to one of the few medics in her squad. "Mitawa, take Mitazawa back to base as well. I'll stay behind to survey the area."

"Yes ma'am!" the seven squad members saluted as they turned to the northwest, the direction of Rice Country. When her squad had left, she turned to the center of the crater and crouched down and observed it.

'This looks too big to be any man-made seal.' She took up clumps of the soil and ran it through her fingers and saw that there were some traces of... nothing? There was no trace of anything. She frantically looked around the area of the blast, including on the highway and found no human remains. She found one all of a sudden when she looked behind a group of burnt trees and was shocked to find half of Mitazawa's body there, mostly burnt to a crisp.

Suddenly she heard a voice shout "Seal Release!" She immediately turned around and gazed in horror as a large seal, nearly a half-kilometer in diameter appeared out of nowhere and the seal, glowing an ominous black and red, activated itself, causing an explosion just as big as the one they had witnessed a few minutes ago. She stared in horror as she realized that she and her squad had been had. She reached for her kunai holster when all of a sudden the shockwave from this explosion sent her hurtling into one of the trees, knocking her unconscious.

"Damn, Naruto," Jiraiya whistled, as he and Naruto appeared on the destroyed highway near the unconscious Kuwara, "Why the hell do you have to use such powerful explosions? Isn't an Exploding Clone covered with Explosive Seals enough for you?"

"Hmm?" Naruto contemplated as he tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Nope! Like one of my former idols used to say, 'Art is a bang, yeah!'"

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><p>"Achoo!"<p>

"Deidara, don't sneeze on my new puppet," a voice snarled.

"Someone just praised my art!"

"Please. How could anyone find your art appealing?"

"I'll show ya!" the first voice said in a giddy tone. "Art is a bang, yeah!"

"No Deidara!"

* * *

><p>Jiraiya looked proudly at his grandson before he heard a groan and turned to see the semi-conscious form of one of the Sound ninjas. He approached her warily and knelt down beside her and checked her pulse.<p>

"She's fine," he sighed as he walked back over to his hidden gear under a bush five meters away.

When Naruto had approached the woman and knelt down beside her, he took in to account that she was only a few years older than he was, maybe only fifteen years old. He was surprised she was even conscious when she had opened her eyes and stared at him. He was startle to see that the gaze held not fear, or hatred, but of sadness and loneliness.

He had been told before when he was being taught by Soren never to look into your enemy's eyes, especially that of a woman's, because they could just be toying with you and kill you when your back is turned. This time though, Naruto saw no form of deception in her eyes, just helplessness.

"I don't want to die yet," the unknown kunoichi weakly mumbled.

"I'm sorry..." Naruto looked up and saw his grandfather had reemerged from the brush with his gear back on. "I have to go," he said soberly as stood up. He was stopped when he saw that the kunoichi had grabbed onto his sleeve.

"Please... I don't want to die." Naruto sighed as he turned to his grandfather whom had stopped in the road and was looking at the pair questioningly.

"What do we do with her?" the blonde genin asked as he gazed at his grandfather.

Jiraiya just shook his head as turned back around. "We do nothing Naruto."

"What? Why? This is a person too! We should at least help her out so she is able to return to her comrades!" the blonde genin tried to reason.

"Naruto," the white haired Legendary Ninja said calmly as he turned to look at his grandson, "that women is a soldier of a village we are at war with. Standard protocol is to either have the person executed or sent to the village to be interrogated and interned as a Prisoner of War. If you send her back, she'll most likely be killed for failure to complete her mission."

"Then," the heir of the Fourth Hokage stated with conviction "I'll bring her along with us!" If he had looked down, he would have seen that the girl had tears streaming down her eyes, thinking that she would die alone if the boy she had met would not be able to convince the older man.

"And do what exactly Naruto?" Jiraiya asked, a steel glint in his eyes. "She is an enemy of our village."

"Yeah! Well so was Hitomi-chan, and now she's accepted as part of the village!"

"You don't get it do you Naruto?" the blonde's grandfather said in a cold, steely voice. "Even Hitomi is not accepted in the village. There are eyes watching her every movement, waiting to strike the moment she movies a centimeter out of line. Even if she were accepted, it would only be by the ninja forces. The civilians of the Leaf will never accept her for playing a role in their Third Hokage's death and Sasuke Uchiha's betrayal of the village. If the people of the village, ninja and civilian alike, find out you're harboring an enemy, there will be chaos."

"Hitomi was once a citizen of the Leaf too! What does it matter if she were in the service of Orochimaru for eight years? She had no say in it to begin with. And civilians have no say in ninja affairs Old Man! And since when do I care about the older generation of ninja's opinions? I only need to have my friends believe in me to keep going! I-"

"And what happens if they betray you Naruto? What will you do when all you have sworn to protect and uphold betrays you to the highest degree? What will you do then?" Jiraiya asked calmly.

"I'll still follow my Ninja Way! My mother and father sacrificed their lives to give me this chance to save this world we live in! They gave me this chance so I can make a better future and destroy the traditions that stagnate and drag our world down! They gave me this chance so I could save everyone in it!" His fingers crossed into a Ram seal and nearly twenty Shadow Clones of Naruto appeared in a poof of smoke. "If I have to prove it to you," all of the Naruto's shouted as one, "then I'll just have to beat it into!" Nearby, one of the clones had set the kunoichi down near one of the trees and stood guard over her.

"You better be prepared to back that up Naruto," Jiraiya said in a steely voice. "Or else this training trip will be over before it even started."

Immediately Jiraiya was assaulted by rushing Narutos and a large hail of kunais, due to the Kunai Shadow Clone Jutsu, and shurikens, due to the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu. The projectile sent every now and again were blocked by Jiraiya's Ninja Style: Needle Jizo, while he used it in tandem with his offense to fend for himself.

Every five seconds, one of the Naruto clones would go 'poof!' And every ten seconds he would have three new Naruto clones launching themselves at. And the more he fought against the clones and the original, the more he realized that it was getting more and more difficult to dispel one of the clones. He soon realized that that every time he dispelled one of the Narutos, all the other ones would be shifting in their battle strategy. He also realized that Naruto was using his not only his insane amount of chakra, but also his expertise in combat strategies, for Naruto's use only, his ability to create seals and his drive to succeed against all odds.

Here was his grandson, about a fifth of his own age, and only a genin, fighting against the Toad Summoner of the Legendary Three Ninjas of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and he was being fought to a standstill.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two Narutos picking up the semi-conscious form of the Sound kunoichi and jumping off to a safe distance. He also mildly noted that when one of the clones connected eyes with him, it disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Jiraiya soon realized why when it happened.

Two Narutos had, right when one of the Narutos carrying the kunoichi dispelled, created a Rasengan in either their right or left hand. The one with the Rasengan in his left slammed his into the left side of Jiraiya's gut, while the other one slammed the Rasengan in his right into the right side of Jiraiya's gut, effectively sending the white haired jonin flying out of the highway and into the forest. Not a second later, all of the attacking Narutos, including the original, rushed into forest after Jiraiya, leaving behind a contingent of five Naruto Shadow Clones to watch over and tend to the unconscious kunoichi.

When the Naruto's landed in the area where Jiraiya was flung to, they were surprised to find no sight of the original's grandfather anywhere. That is until they heard they shout from above, and when they turned their heads up, their eyes bugged out to epic proportions.

"Chōōdama Rasengan!" Jiraiya shouted as his Chōōdama Rasengan impacted the area where all of the clones, and the original, were standing. When it had impacted, clouds of dust and debris were kicked up, causing the visibility to drop to zero.

Jiraiya then eased his descent down by leaping onto the treetops and then spring boarding from one tree to another until he had reached the ground. When he landed on the ground, he wasn't surprised to find out that a crater was formed due to his ninja technique. He wasn't even mildly surprised when five Naruto appeared out of nowhere and attacked him, though they were quickly dispelled by Jiraiya's Ninja Style: Needle Jizo.

"Give up Naruto," Jiraiya said as he approached the bleeding form of his charge and grandson. "Accept the fact that there are cruel realities in this world that all people abide to, including you."

"I told you once gramps," Naruto said as he coughed up blood, "I'm not gonna... give up. Because that is my... ninja way!" he shouted as he rocketed towards his grandfather, a Rasengan in his right hand.

"You're too weak Naruto!" the Toad Sage declared as he ducked under Naruto's attack and slammed his fist into the pre-teen's gut. Because of the amount of force put into the attack, Naruto was sent flying into one of the nearby destroyed trees twenty meters away, a few splinters of bark puncturing his back, and a tree broken limb stabbing into his shoulder. "I took you on this training trip so that you would become stronger. And you want to throw it all away just so you could save someone you don't even know? You're pathetic Naruto," the Toad Sage spat.

"Ha... ha... ha... hurk!" Naruto exclaimed as he removed the broken tree limb from his shoulder and tossed it aside. He stood up shakily and stared down his grandfather.

"I told you once that I am going to save everyone, even my enemies! And I'm going to prove it to you!" He smirked through one eye; the other closed due to a bleeding wound on his brow. All over Naruto's body were scrapes and wounds and his torn clothes also showed off a body of one who had toiled for hours on end. His hands then instantaneously ran through 62 hand seals and called out, with his hands in the Dragon Seal, "Water Celestial Beast Summoning: Heavenly Azure-Dragon Jutsu!"

Jiraiya immediately knew how and where Naruto had gotten that jutsu, it was in his family to begin with. But he was completely surprised to find out that Naruto was actually using his chakra to manipulate the water in the air to create the necessary water needed for the tremendously sized jutsu.

"So you can pull water out of the air now?" Jiraiya asked as he flashed through 54 hand seals at a break neck pace.

"I have the Wind, Earth and Water as my main Nature Affinities due to the families I come from Old Man," the blonde haired genin smirked. There was a roar to the heavens as all of a sudden, a dragon made entirely of water, nearly twenty meters in length (66 feet in length), formed out of the air itself, crashed down onto the ground and coiled itself around Naruto. "And I've been training using my water and wind affinities since I was eight. I think it's paid off now."

The dragon itself resembled that of an azure-blue dragon, one of the Celestial Beasts. The ember red eyes of the water dragon glared across to its target and bared its teeth in a threatening manner. It's long whiskers at both sides of its snout waved in the wind, as water dripped from the ends of its long, sharp teeth. The four claws on each leg dug into the ground and up rooted the few standing trees.

"Heh, I still think you're in over your head Naruto!" Jiraiya shouted as he finished his hand seals, finishing with the Bird Seal, and called out, "Fire Celestial Beast Summoning: Sacred Crimson-Phoenix Jutsu!" When Jiraiya exhaled, the fire that bellowed from his was searing hot, causing the already destroyed forest around the two to catch fire. The inferno did not do anything to evaporate the Water based jutsu, but instead caused it to let loose a bestial roar, as if calling out its opponent.

The fires all around them then began to gravitate to one spot in the air before the seemingly burst outward, along with a shockwave of wind. An almost earth shattering screech of an eagle erupted from beak of the fifteen meter tall Phoenix (49 feet tall). The gargantuan bird's cold, blue eyes stared glared down at its opponent and descended, with a flap of its mighty crimson wings, down to the earth and landed next to its summoner, its mighty talons gripping into the already loose earth.

Both Jiraiya and Naruto had stared one another down as they both groped at what to say at this moment. Neither found anything truely meaningful to say, except for Naruto.

"I will prove to you I can and will overcome anything this world throws at me," Naruto proclaimed with conviction as he settled into an unfamiliar stance, his left arm in his pocket and the other in a drawing position. His feet were also in a springy and spread posture. Behind him, his Azure-Dragon rose up into the air above the treetops and floated there, waiting for the moment its summoner would attack.

Jiraiya only sighed and steeled his face as he settled in settled into an improvised form of the style he was taught on Mount Myōboku, the Frog Kumite (Frog Kata). The Crimson-Phoenix beside him flapped its wings and rose above the forest, nearly forty meters in the air (131 feet), hovering on the level of the Azure-Dragon.

From one of the trees nearly thirty meters from their battlegrounds, a leaf detached itself from the tree and drifted in the wind towards their location. It fluttered harmlessly until the wind suddenly stopped and the leaf floated to the earth, breaking the eye contact of the Azure-Dragon and the Crimson-Phoenix momentarily. The leaf then continued to float down, until it reached Naruto and Jiraiya's field of vision. When the leaf through their eye contact, the two disappeared and reappeared only momentarily only seconds later, before disappearing again, the sound of fists and kicks flying in the air sounding their battle. Up, high above them, the two Celestial Beasts roared and screeched as they flew towards one another and met with claws and teeth against talons and beak as the two fought for control over the air. The tree leaf, forgotten, had fluttered down to the ground bisected, destroyed by Jiraiya and Naruto's first head-on and failed attacks.

The fight between Naruto and Jiraiya was a fierce and bloody one, as Jiraiya had not expected the loose, almost street fighter like stance, to be so completely unreadable, and thus with Naruto, an unpredictable and deadly combination. Several times, he was lucky he had found a way to improvise the Frog Kumite because if a number of those kicks and punches connected with him if he would have used a different style, he would probably down for the count. It was due to the Frog Kumite's flexible nature, allowing him to spring board around the area and dodge attacks by a hair's length and then counter that put him on even ground with Naruto.

One of the punches delivered by Naruto had made a thunder like crack when it impacted on his shoulder, thus rendering it practically useless.

Jiraiya wasn't the only one frustrated with the hand-to-hand combat either. Naruto himself was beginning to show signs of fatigue and was putting his all into the fight. Just because he had an abundance of energy and stamina didn't mean his entire body could keep up with him. In fact, right now, every fiber of his body was screaming as if it were on fire. He was quite luck he had the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed within his body and thus healing him, or else this fight would have ended a long time ago.

His style, which he affectionately dubbed the Uzumaki Streets, was a brawler type improvised fighting style he had come up with when he was ten years old. It, in truth, did not rely on strength, but more on speed and dexterity, due to the fact that he had to be able to punishment and deal it back ten times fast. That wasn't all of it though. His own fighting style was mainly comprised of other fighting styles, bits and pieces, and hammered out into a finer style. But what really made his style special were the marvels it could do with his Shadow Clones in play.

One of the techniques he had created was called the Lightning Speed, Thunder Crash. It mostly involved moving at an insane amount of speed, a feat attainable for Naruto due to his Wind affinity and his high-natural speed and stomping on the ground. At the exact moment of the stomp, the person must connect with a closed fist punch. At the impact of the fist and the stomp, a loud cracking sound is heard, both from the ground and the target. It is due to inertia when the stomp hits the ground at a frighteningly fast speed and the energy that opposes the stomp, is transferred from the foot to the fist. The results would be devastating, especially when the target, a person, were to be hit in the jaw, thus causing a one hit K-O due to the force of the punch and the energy traveling through it.

As Naruto threw devastating kicks and punches, and deftly dodged and feinted, while Jiraiya leapfrogged, springboarded and kicked and chopped, high above the two, the Azure-Dragon and Crimson Phoenix furiously attacked one another.

The mighty hōō screeched as its fiery talons crashed against the water scales of the ryū, while the enormous dragon slashed with its torrent of claws at the wings and body of its fiery rival. The bird of legends began not only clawing at the neck, face and body, but also peaking at and trying to tear away the limbs of the dragon, cawing in triumph every time it would remove a limb, yet grow more frustrated when its rival would regenerate. The dragon itself as well fought viciously as it tried to defeat its opponent and when it saw an opening, it took it, biting onto the tail of its opponent. The hōō kicked at the reptilian's neck as it desperately tried to free itself from the ryū's crushing teeth, screeching all the while. The phoenix had continued to kick, thrash about and beat its wings at the dragon to no avail, while the dragon tightened its grip on the phoenix's tail and tried to maintain a firm grip on its opponent.

The Azure-Dragon then all of sudden bit down and snapped of the tail of the Crimson-Phoenix and threw it down to the ground, igniting the forest, setting more of it ablaze. The owner of said tail gave a screech of pain as its flight control appendage was torn asunder and its ability to fly rendered useless, causing it to plummet to the earth. When it had crashed down to the earth, the enormous bird had its wing crippled from the way it seemed to lift it helplessly, and issued forth a weak cry. The legendary bird let loose a pained cry when the dragon landed on top of its already crippled body and pinned it down with it claws and proceeded to rip away at the defenseless bird as the battle between Jiraiya and Naruto seemed to head in the latter's favor.

Naruto had already dodged several of Jiraiya's thrusts, punches and kicks, though he realized he was still getting wounded each and every time Jiraiya's attacks came close enough. After having fought against his grandfather, he deduced that the fighting style Jiraiya was using most likely relied on air pressure and force from the attacks themselves to connect with the target. But what he could also tell was the fact that Jiraiya's style he was currently using was an improvised one, most likely a downplayed version of the original due to the fact it seemed Jiraiya had to strain himself somewhat to perform the moves. The fatigue was superficial, though, due to Jiraiya's superior training compared to his own.

He had thrown one Lightning Speed, Thunder Crash against the Toad Sage and growled in frustration as the older man leapt over him and landed, springboard kick off of his back. Naruto knew this was going to take awhile, so he decided to poke at his opponent's defense and offense and keep his energy at optimum.

He then continued to assault Jiraiya, throwing punches and kicks everywhere, testing how his grandfather would react if he attacked one certain place, so that he could find a weak point. He smirked dangerously when he finally found out enough.

This time, instead of doing a normal three punches, then kick, punch combo, Naruto had run in low, sprinting at his grandfather, and then pulled off a powerful side kick which he knew his grandfather would try to catch. Jiraiya at that moment was prepared to throw Naruto when he received a devastating kick to the chin, causing him to let Naruto go. At the moment Jiraiya had caught Naruto's side kick, the boy had smirked when his grandfather caught the attack, and instead of normal trying to pull himself out of Jiraiya's grip, had continued forward using his momentum from the sprint. He then used his free leg and attacked with a powerful high kick (or in this case, a springboard kick), using his caught leg as a base, aiming at Jiraiya's chin.

When Jiraiya had stumbled back slightly dazed, he realized he had let his guard down long enough for Naruto to exploit it. He braced himself and hissed slightly in pain when he received a powerful side kick to his right side, throwing him some ten meters (33 feet). Jiraiya spat up some blood and stared across the grounds towards his grandson. Naruto huffed as he whipped the blood that was exiting the side of his mouth.

"Give... ha... up Old... ha... Man," Naruto grunted as he readied himself for round two of his and Jiraiya's fight.

"You're still too weak... huff... Naruto," Jiraiya stated slightly winded though less fatigued than his grandson. "You won't be able to do much, not without your summon backing you up."

"I'm not the one with the wounded summon Old Man."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that Naruto. Look at their battle," he pointed over to the location of the dragon and phoenix's battle as a large explosion occurred.

"What!" Naruto shouted as he whirled around to face another crater and a fully healed fire-phoenix and his injured Azure-Dragon. "I thought my dragon tore that phoenix to pieces!" Naruto shouted as he watched the phoenix open its mouth and blast a large fireball at the dragon, causing the water holding it together to evaporate. The phoenix screeched in triumph as it soared back in to the sky and hovered forty meters in the air once more (131 feet).

"You thought wrong Naruto," Jiraiya chided as he crossed his arms. "A phoenix, especially a hōō of legend, can not be killed. It is reborn from its ashes and the rebirth of the bird is enough to destroy a whole village Naruto. I think you should know about the legend of the Celestial Beasts better than anyone else Naruto. After all," Jiraiya stated, "You're a member one of the four Celestial Families, the Uzumakis."

"I know about that shit already gramps! What I'm wondering is how my Azure-Dragon lost against an opponent it should have had an advantage over!" Naruto shouted in frustration.

"It's because you're not strong enough. In this world Naruto, only those with the strength and power can change this world. You hold neither... and that is why you will always lose when you fight against those truely stronger than yourself," Jiraiya finished ominously as the Crimson-Phoenix that was flying high above him screeched to the Heavens and darted towards Naruto.

"Shit!" Naruto cursed as he tried to avoid it or dodge at the last second, but the Phoenix was moving too fast. He cursed once more and braced himself as he stared into the fiery bird. When it had reach a meter away from Naruto, the whole world around him began to slow down at an incredible pace. Then he heard a somber voice deep within the back of his soul.

'_You are stronger than this Naruto..._

'_You have proven it time and time again..._

'_It is not your strength and power you draw from..._

'_But your never ending conviction..._

'_And your never wavering will to save everyone and to bring about peace..._

'_Remember, you are the Genesis Guardian because you will bring about change..._

'_You will be the one to tear down the traditions of old and instate a new way of life..._

'_It is your hopes and dreams that make you succeed..._

'_Never forget why you were given the ability to shape this world..._

'_Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze.'_

As the voice faded from within his mind, he stared at the flaming phoenix in front of himself and brought the sword that appeared within his hands, the Eienkage, down upon the beak of the bird. When his sword crashed upon the elemental summoning, a massive wind pressure ripped the bird in half and caused it to disintegrate and the spirit it was housing momentarily to disappear. Not only did the swing from the sword destroy the summoned Celestial Beast, but create a deep ravine down the path of the blade s well. Luckily, Jiraiya being a high-level, near Kage rank ninja, had a keen sixth sense that told him when danger was coming. He was unlucky though due to the fact he had received some whiplash from the wind.

"How?" Jiraiya whispered awe-struck.

"It's because I don't need just my strength," Naruto proclaimed proudly as he hefted the Eienkage on his shoulder. "My conviction, my dreams and my will to never give up are also sources of my strength. As long as I have those... I won't have to worry about that. And as long as I hold this sword," he said as he pointed the tip at his grandfather, "I won't go down until my will is carried out."

Jiraiya had stared upon the son of his own son and marveled at the steel-eyed resolve he had just displayed. When he had fought him earlier, he had believed that Naruto was still too weak because he could see that grandson held terror in his eyes whenever he had come close to being completely incapacitated. He had also realized that Naruto was growing weaker and weaker because he was fighting for only himself. Where had his will to protect others gone? Now he knew where the real Naruto was hiding. And that was all he needed to know to pass him.

"Say what?"

"I said you pass?"

"What the f*ck do I pass? You mean all that shit was a test! F*ck!"

"I needed to see whether or not you would be ready for the trial ahead of you Naruto. What I was testing was whether or not your conviction was strong enough to survive under the onslaught of those far stronger than yourself."

"Then why were you threatening to throw me back to the Leaf Village if I failed!"

"Because I would rather have you alive in the village than dead because you lost all will to fight because of an enemy! Naruto, there will be time when you begin to question yourself, and why you are doing all of this. Your enemies will take advantage of that moment of weakness and exploit it to all possible degrees. You can't let your will waver, and you can not let your conviction weaken in the slightest. You are the one who will change this world Naruto. I knew it the moment your parent named you: Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, the Maelstrom of whirling water and wind."

Naruto froze as he was told what would have happened if he were fighting an enemy instead of his grandfather in this scenario. Sure the strategies, jutsus and weapons used would be different, but he had nearly lost the psychological aspect of the battle. If it were a different person and of equal or greater strength, he would be a cold, rotting corpse on the ground right now. It was only due to Hikari that he was able to survive this even alive.

"I understand Jiraiya-sensei," Naruto said as he bowed.

"No problem," Jiraiya shrugged. "You know it took your dad a full two days just to be able to beat me at your age." He chuckled when he saw his grandson beam at being able to one-up his father. "I think you would have made him proud today Naruto, him and your mother both."

"Yeah," the blonde heir of the Uzumakis sighed.

"Now," Jiraiya said as he readied himself into a stance. "Let's go all out."

"Any bets?" Naruto asked as he prepared his Shadow Clone Jutsu with one hand.

"Loser has to pay the bill for the next six months."

"You're on Old Man!" Naruto shouted as he created his clones in a poof and two Jiraiya shadow clones appeared behind the original Toad Sage.

"You done yet kid?" a bruised up and bloody Jiraiya asked, with a Rasengan in his right palm and five shadow clones armed with kunais and shurikens standing behind him.

"Not on your life Gramps," Naruto retorted, armed with his sword the Eienkage, with fifty clones stood behind him, all armed with kunais and shurikens.

Nearly an hour and a half later, Naruto and Jiraiya stood panting in the middle of the crater Jiraiya had created with his Chōōdama Rasengan. Behind Naruto stood fifty shadow clones either armed with kunais or shurikens while the original was still armed with his sword, Eienkage. Behind Jiraiya stood five shadow clones armed with shurikens or kunais while the original Toad Sage was armed with a Rasengan in his right palm.

"You're paying for the next six months if you lose kid!" the Toad Sage shouted as he and his clones launched themselves at the hoard of orange clothed genin.

"All the more reason why I should win Old Man!" all of the Naruto clones, and the original blonde haired genin, shouted as they charged at one another.

"CHARGE!"

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><p><strong><em>'The young man has passed his first trial<br>Due to his conviction, dreams and his will  
>The future will become clearer one day<br>When he begins his journey renewed.'_**

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><p><strong>End of Three Years arc: Episode II<strong>

**First Test: Drive!**

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><p><strong>Author's notes:<strong>

***: The country in which the Village Hidden in the Grass is located. Because it does not have an official name, I will go along with its fan dubbed name Grass Country until the name of the country is given. When it is, I will not edit this version so that the name fits. Instead, I will put it in my revised and reamped version of this story. It will be "Shattered Fates, New Destinies". It will be pretty much be "Memories Lost, Lingering Futures", but it will instead have more detailed, more vivid descriptions of landscapes and such. The chapters will also be lengthier and the author's notes will be at the index of the story, meaning the last chapter. There will be no notices or such; all of that will be at the end.**

**Also, officially, Jiraiya's ninja rank is still jonin. The Legendary Three Ninja title he has is just that, a title. So in truth, Jiraiya is jonin rank. But he is close to being Kage rank, or has already passed it. If you want to prove me wrong, review and show me official evidence.**

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><p><strong>Also, if I create an OC and the gender is female, with a name, I will most likely make sure that she survives in some way shape or form. Most likely I will pawn the woman off to one of the male characters in the story for a pairing. But I will only do this sometimes. Kuwara Yumita is the first. Review and come up with a character <strong>

**Oh yes; Official pairings as of now are:**

**Naruto x Tayuya (Hitomi)**

**Jiraiya x Tsunade**

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><p><strong>There are four sacred animal techniques. They are:<strong>

**Water Celestial Beast Summoning: Heavenly Azure-Dragon Jutsu (Seiryū) (Uzumakis, The Royal Branch)**

**Fire Celestial Beast Summoning: Sacred Crimson-Phoenix Jutsu (Suzuka) (unknown)**

**Lightning Celestial Beast Summoning: Majestic Silver-Tiger Jutsu (Byakko[Not to be confused with Sasuke Uchiha's Kirin]) (unknown)**

**Earth Celestial Beast Summoning: Worldly Onyx-Tortoise Jutsu (Genbu) (unknown)**

**Only four families, all with royalty ties, within the Elemental Nations know these four jutsus. Their destructive natures have made them deemed as S-ranked jutsus and are usually kept under lock and key. Also, only the people of the designated family may use the summoning to call forth the manifested form of the Celestial beast. Each requires an element to be called up, thus making the Azure-Dragon the most difficult to rely upon. It is akin to a summoning jutsu, but you can not summon the true body of a Celestial Beast. You may only call upon a body to be made for it and even then, the strength of the corporeal body is only one-hundredth the strength of the real body, and thus by proxy, they are one-hundredth their original size. Can not be used in conjunction with the World Anchoring Seal.**

**It is said that each family had a champion that represented their family, chosen from a family that has sworn its fealty to the family. The family chosen would then pass it from one family member to another, every time a new generation would be born. Usually, if the using the family original 62 seals was where only the female used the jutsu, say the Fire Celestial Beast Summoning: Sacred Crimson-Phoenix Jutsu, the champion would have to be of the opposite gender to use the 54 hand seal version.**

**It is likely that Jiraiya's family was chosen, most likely on his father's side, to be the champions of the original summoner's family. It is unlikely, though, that Naruto would be able to use the Fire Celestial Beast Summoning: Sacred Crimson-Phoenix Jutsu due to the fact that his family blood is stronger on his mother's side, due to the Uzumaki's being in control of the Water Celestial Beast Summoning: Heavenly Azure-Dragon Jutsu.**

**These four jutsu are considered both summoning and elemental type jutsus.**

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><p><strong>Otherworld Summoning Seal:<strong>

**Rank: B**

**Type: Summoning**

**Prerequisite(s): Basic knowledge of summoning seals.**

**Requirements for Seal Preparation: A seal created on a flat, dry surface.**

**Description: Depending on the size of the seal, the chakra's potency and strength feed into the seal, and intricacy and correctness of the seal, anything can pop up. It is mainly credited with bringing back technology that was once lost to the Elemental Countries. This includes trains, light bulbs, engine ships, electric lampposts, telephones, computers and other small electronics. Vehicles, planes and gunpowder weapons have thus been, so far, unable to be summoned. The results of such summonings range from small explosions to large explosions, rips and distortions in the fabric of the space/time continuum.**

**Note: Unknown about where the objects summoned using the Otherworld Summoning Seal come from. Seal Masters hypothesize that the objects are pulled from another dimension entirely. Other Seal Masters believe that the objects are pulled from their own dimension and from a distant past.**

**Warning! Do not attempt to create the seal unless of Seal Master of the 45th Rank. Even then do not attempt in any populated areas. **

**Creator: most likely an Uzumaki.**

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><p><strong>Unnamed Summoning Scroll<strong>

**Rank-?**

**Type: Summoning**

**Prerequisite(s): Name in the contract linked with the summoning and extensive knowledge in Summoning Seals, Containment Seals and Chakra-Conversion Seals.**

**Requirements for Seal Preparation: Details only known by creator.**

**Description: Allows the user to call forth any person that they have come in direct contact with and summon them directly towards the summoner. Can even summon across time itself.**

**Warning! Untested on the timeline summoning due to unforeseen consequences of affecting a person in the past or possibly the future and thereby changing the whole of that universe into an alternate : Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze**

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><p><strong>Legendary Weapons Graveyard:<strong>

**Rank-SS**

**Type: Summoning**

**Prerequisite(s): substantial knowledge in seals, including, but not limited to: chakra conversion seals, summoning seals, compression seals, containment seals, and focus seals.**

**Requirements for Seal Preparation: having the summoner's signature in the Legends' Legacies Contract and creating a seal four-quarters of a kilometer in diameter (at the most) as the medium for the summoning. A seal one-meter in diameter can suffice for one weapon, but is impractical due to effects of bringing the weapon out of the seal unless using a World Anchoring Seal (See World Anchoring Seal).**

**Description: A summoning that is tied into the Legends' Legacies Scroll. Allows the summoner to call forth weapons of different worlds' heroes onto the ground surrounded by the seal. Any weapon brought out of the circle immediately turns into dust due to the field of energy generating the weapons' corporeal form and tying it to the summoner's dimension only maintains the weapon's form inside of the seal circle.**

**Note: Must be used in tangent with the World Anchoring Seal for weapons to be used outside of summoning seal (See World Anchoring Seal).**

**Warning! Do not attempt Legendary Weapons Graveyard unless a Seal Master of the 89th Rank! Even if so, use of the summoning is prohibited due to the consequences of using the summoning seal and calling forth a Cataclysm class weapon.**

**During the initial testing phase of the Legendary Weapons Graveyard, several weapons, when used properly, had devastating results on not only the target, but also the immediate surrounding area. A catalogue with the records of the thus far known Cataclysm weapons has been produced.**

**Known Cataclysm Class Weapons discovered by owner of the contract:**

**Fusion Swords (+SSS)**

**Buster Sword (SSS)**

**Masamune (+SSS)**

**Rapier (SS)**

**Master Sword (SSS)**

**Revolver (S)**

**Brotherhood (S)**

**Caladbolg (SSS)**

**Narsil (SSS)**

**Ultima Weapon (SSS)**

**Anduril (+SSS)**

**Lionheart (SSS)**

**Omega Weapon (SSS)**

**Lightsword (+SSS)**

**Minigun (SSS)**

**Javelin (SSS) **

**Lightsaber (SSS)**

**E-web Blaster (S)**

**Ragnell (+SSS)**

**Alondite (+SSS)**

**Vague Katti (SS)**

**Wishblade (SS)**

**Tarvos (S)**

**Urvan (SS)**

**Lughnasadh (S)**

**Silencer (SS)**

**Kard (S)**

**Peshkatz (SS)**

**Rexflame (SS)**

**Rexcalibur (SS)**

**Rexbolt (SS)**

**Rexaura (SS)**

**Balberith (SS)**

**Sieglinde (S)**

**Audhulma (S)**

**Siegmund (S)**

**Vidofnir (S)**

**Garm (S)**

**Nidhogg (S)**

**Excalibur (+SSS)**

**Note: (S) denotes that the weapon is of high caliber, but still a fairly weak weapon in the Cataclysm Class Weapon and are thus called Lesser Cataclysm Weapons. (SS) denotes a weapon of standard power that has some special abilities to it and is called only Cataclysm Weapons. (SSS) denotes the weapon being of the highest mortal caliber and is a thus noted as a Legendary Cataclysm Weapon. (+SSS) denotes a weapon that has been blessed either by a Fey, Deity or high arcane magic. They are said to be have been legacies of legends of different worlds and have thus been used to save their own world. Known as the Celestial Cataclysm Weapons, they are said to be able to sunder worlds if in the hands of the right wielder.**

**Creator: Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze**

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><p><strong>World Anchoring Seal:<strong>

**Rank-S**

**Type: Support Seal**

**Prerequisite(s): Extensive study of Chakra-Conversion Seals, Manifest Seals, Containment Seals and Suppression Seals. **

**Requirements for Seal Preparation: any sealing tag will suffice.**

**Description: Binds a specific object from another dimension and world to the user's world and holds it in a corporeal form as long as chakra is feed into the seal on a daily basis to power the seal.**

**Notes: Only useful on weapons summoned by the Legendary Weapons Graveyard. Can be applied to a summon from any other contract, an example is the Toad Summoning Contract, but the calibrations for that summoning must have the seal for the World Anchoring Seal modified to work. Attempts to use the World Anchoring Seal on the Water Celestial Beast Summoning have resulted in being snapped at by the Azure-Dragon due to unforeseen reasons.**

**Creator: Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Rant:<strong>

**I have seen the gender-bender of the Naruto, One Piece and Bleach-verses and I have to say this: You people have messed up minds! Now my head's toying with the fact if I should make Sai go through it! Actually, that's now a poll.**

**And speaking of polls, the Tayuya Name poll is officially closed as of the time of the posting of this chapter. And also, I will not be influenced by the votes unless I specify if it will change the story or impact it.**

**Wait... D'Oh! I forgot I had another poll I was gonna reveal to the public! Erm, anyway... I will have the 'Should I have Sai go through the Gender Bender' Poll up probably by the eighth chapter or so.**

**Also, give Iruka blonde hair and a cool swathe personality, and he could be the next Dollgun! (Disclaimer: I do not own Dollgun the manga, or any characters affiliated with it.)**

**I know Kuwara Yumita is an OC, so I may be rough in describing her. Also, think about your instinct to survive. If you were in her situation, when you know failure is not an option, and you are only a kid, what would you be thinking?**

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><p><strong>Also! Time for the results of the poll!<strong>

**Do you like Tayuya's birth name Hitomi?**

**Yes- 5 votes**

**No- 1 vote**

**I like it, but I like the old name better- 10 votes**

**There are your results for the poll.**

* * *

><p><strong>Now the new poll is... Should I add a second girl to the main pairing in Memories Lost, Lingering Futures?<strong>

**Options are:**

**Yes, Amaru**

**Yes, Fū**

**Yes, Kurotsuchi**

**Yes, Yugito**

**No! Keep it as is!**

**Please Vote!**

* * *

><p><strong>(Old Man [Read this as if you were an old man]) Author's Memoirs: <strong>

**It's funny... watching kids grow up. It gives you a hint of nostalgia when you look at them. I always find it funny with how kids interact and cope with the demand of their daily lives. It's even better when they just sit down and gaze upon the world with awe. Some romance stories I have read, they have enough emotion in them to make me smile. Yet, sometimes, I realize that not all people will be able to have that type of relationship or life, or even have that unstoppable will. But still, you are all teenagers, young adults right now. You have the future in your hands; you just need to reach out and grab it. Don't worry about inhibitions; don't worry about being judged; this is your life, your fate. Live how you want to live. Don't worry about the future, persist and believe in the present. You have all the time in the world! Let go of all that burdens you for one day and just live! You are the young, not the old! Worry when you become 100! Live your life free, live your life happy, live your life loving this world and everyone and I will guarantee that you will live to be over 100 years old.**

**I also want to tell you young'nes to be mature about your relationships. I want to see you people commit yourself to the relationship if you label it as love. If it's the whole 'friends with benefits' thing, stick to it and don't let your feelings become involved. Also, to all men out there, I myself have tried the pushing friends away to protect them, it does not work! They're your friends for a reason, and if you are in dire straits, you will know who are truely your friends. Also, don't use love lightly! It is a heavy and powerful word. So use it only when you mean it. If you have a relationship that is so close with the person of the opposite gender, and you don't have words to describe it, then don't. Love is a label we have built. A bond is something far stronger than love. It is what binds us with our friends, our family and the ones we hold closest to our hearts.**

**Don't make the same mistake I did of not telling the one you love you love them. I wish I could have that chance again. Caitlin...**

**Write! For the love of all things, write! Write your story! Write your legend! Write about your hopes, legacy, and dreams! And when you're done, write some more! Everyone has a story worth writing, a story worth reading, sharing, enjoying, and above all else spreading. This is the thing that true writers do, they spread their beliefs through their stories. When you write a story, don't write a story, write the story that is in your heart!**

**Now... please review.**

* * *

><p>'<strong>I'm Yours' By Jason Mraz. Disclaimer, I don't own 'I'm Yours'. That's Jason's.<strong>

_Well you've done done me and you bet I felt it._  
><em>I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted.<em>  
><em>I fell right through the cracks,<em>  
><em>and now I'm trying to get back.<em>  
><em>Before the cool done run out,<em>  
><em>I'll be giving it my bestest.<em>  
><em>Nothing's going to stop me but divine intervention.<em>  
><em>I reckon its again my turn to win some or learn some.<em>

_I won't hesitate no more, no more._  
><em>It cannot wait, I'm yours<em>

_Well open up your mind and see like me._  
><em>Open up your plans and damn you're free.<em>  
><em>Look into your heart and you'll find love love love love.<em>  
><em>Listen to the music of the moment people dance and sing, we're just one big family.<em>  
><em>It's our God-forsaken right to be loved loved loved loved.<em>

_So I won't hesitate any more, no more._  
><em>It cannot wait I'm sure.<em>

_There's no need to complicate._  
><em>Our time is short.<em>  
><em>This is our fate, I'm yours.<em>

_Do you want to, come on, scootch over closer dear,_  
><em>And I will nibble your ear.<em>

_I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror,_  
><em>And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer.<em>  
><em>But my breath fogged up the glass,<em>  
><em>And so I drew a new face and I laughed.<em>  
><em>I guess what I'll be saying is there ain't no better reason,<em>  
><em>To rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons.<em>  
><em>It's what we aim to do.<em>  
><em>Our name is our virtue.<em>

_But I won't hesitate no more, no more._  
><em>It cannot wait, I'm yours.<em>

_Well open up your mind and see like me._  
><em>Open up your plans and damn you're free.<em>  
><em>Look into your heart and you'll find that the sky is yours.<em>  
><em>So please don't, please don't, please don't.<em>  
><em>There's no need to complicate,<em>  
><em>'cause our time is short.<em>  
><em>This oh, this oh, this is our fate, I'm yours.<em>

Love this song! I also dedicate it to Caitlin.


	6. Trust and Mystery

Memories Lost, Lingering Futures

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><p><strong>Authors Notes:<strong>

**Data as of 13/10/11**

**So far the results for the Should I add a second girl to the main pairing in Memories Lost, Linger Futures?**

**Yes, Amaru - 3**

**Yes, Fū - 4**

**Yes, Yugito - 1**

**Yes, Kurotsuchi - 0**

**No! Keep it as is! – 7**

**Please vote!**

**7,498 hits for Memories Lost, Lingering Futures! 3,774 visitors to the story Memories Lost, Lingering Futures since October 13th, 2011! Please read and review!**

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><p><strong>Author's Rants:<strong>

**[Postal] Not much to say.**

**[Passive] Nothing here either.**

**[Calm] I'm good.**

**[Passion] Nothing at all to say.**

**[Confidence] I'm out.**

**[Conviction] I'm okay as well.**

**[Normal] Seems no part of me has anything to say.**

**[Lust] I do! I saw the story by coso called Growing Up. I love it (*gives two thumbs up with the pervy smile*)! And women are more perverted then us men! It's true!**

**[Female Defender] No they are not! They are beautiful radiant flowers, never stained by our world.**

**[Anti-Sexist] That's sexist you know, Defender.**

**All right! That wraps up the Author's Notes and Rants! Onto the story!**

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><p><strong>Three Years Arc: Episode III<strong>

**Trust and Mystery**

* * *

><p><em><strong>'It has been eight long years since she had seen her home<strong>_

_**The times have changed greatly**_

_**There is much to learn once more**_

_**As her new life and journey begins.'**_

* * *

><p>'<em>Ring, ring, ring, ring, riiiinnngg!'<em> 'SMASH!'

"Fuckin' stupid ass alarm clock," Hitomi muttered from under her bed covers. "What the hell did this thing say?" She peeked from under her covers and saw the blinking numbers 7:30 a.m. staring back at her.

'It's too early... wait. Oh hell no,' she deadpanned to herself as she kicked of the covers. She regretted it the moment she did because right then and there, a bucket of cold water mixed with pink food coloring drenched her.

"Damnit Anko-nee!"

"Hmmm... Seems Hitomi-chan is up now," the purple haired Tokubetsu jonin mused to herself from her seat as she sipped her coffee and bit into another piece of dango. "Oh well, serves her right for not remembering what I do when my little siblings stay in bed too long."

Nearly four minutes later, a somewhat drenched, and pink, Hitomi walked to the threshold of the kitchen and pointed menacingly at the snake-mistress while bearing her teeth. "Damn you Anko-nee," she seethed.

The purple haired kunoichi leaned her arm over the back of the chair and looked over her shoulder at the drenched redhead with a smirk on her face.

"Your fault Hitomi-chan. You should have remembered how tight a shift I run," Anko giggled as she sipped her coffee. She laughed when she heard the string of curses leave Hitomi's lips as the redhead made her way to her bathroom and returned to the newspaper in front of her on the table. She pulled it up and flipped through some articles and began reading the one with the heading, **Battle of the Titans! Crimson Phoenix of the South vs. Azure Dragon of the East!**

"Never heard that combination before," Anko said as she ran a hand over her scalp. She really hadn't heard that combination of curses used in the same sentence. Seems Hitomi was able to one-up her. Her eyes scanned through the article and noted that it happened on the route that both Lord Jiraiya and Naruto-kun were taking.

'_Couldn't be... could it?'_ Anko asked herself.

"Hey," a quick yawn interrupted the new person's sentence, "Anko. How ya been?" Anko looked over her shoulder once more and was greeted by the haggard appearance of one Kurenai Yuhi. She was currently wearing her sleeping gown, which of course was modest; while on her feet were her red house slippers. Her hair looked like Kurenai stuck her wet finger in an electric socket, as usual, though one could tell the sleepiness in the kunoichi's voice.

"I'm good Kurenai," the purple haired interrogator said as she turned back to her paper and flipped through some uninteresting articles.

"Is the coffee how I want it?" the red-eyed kunoichi asked as she poured herself a cup.

"Yeah, four and a half tablespoons and six cups of water." There was a grunt of acknowledgement as Kurenai poured in here cream and sugar and mixed it with a coffee stick. She sipped the caffeinated beverage and shuddered as she felt the immediate effects of the drug hit her system. The raven-haired kunoichi fumbled around the kitchen and found her breakfast before setting it down on the table. She pulled out her chair to the side of Anko and sighed as she sipped her coffee some more.

"Rough night huh?" Anko asked as she bit into her dango, not even looking up to her housemate.

"No," she moaned as she stabbed into her egg with her chopsticks and then chewed on it. "I'm just not a morning person during Wednesdays."

"Kurenai," the Tokubetsu jonin said as she looked at her companion with an eyebrow raised, "it's Thursday."

"It feels like a Wednesday to me!" Kurenai snapped in a tired voice. "I want to go back to sleep."

"What would your team say if they saw you in this state Kurenai?" Anko chuckled.

"I know what I'd say. I'd say, 'You're being a baby Kurenai,'" a new voice interrupted. Anko turned her head around once more and saw Yugao Uzuki in her civilian clothes, which consisted of jeans, a purple long sleeved blouse and a black small vest. Her purple hair was pulled up into a bun with a ponytail of a few centimeters running down the base of her bun. Two bangs framed her heart shaped face as well.

"Bite me Yugao," Kurenai snarled, her head face-first on the table. "I'm too tired to do anything right now."

"You and Asuma at it again last night?" the purple haired ANBU teased as she set down her tea and breakfast and took a seat across Kurenai.

"No," Kurenai muttered her defense completely weak.

"I saw you stumbling in here around 3:30 a.m. Kurenai. And I know you two had a date last night girl." Yugao smirked and crossed her arms over her chest in triumph when she saw the blush cross Kurenai's face.

"So what if me and Asuma have our own fun? It's not like its going to be detrimental to my training regimen, is it?"

"Kurenai-even I don't get that bowlegged whenever Iruka-kun and I have a fun time," Anko teased with a smirk plastered to her face. Kurenai couldn't deny that fact about her and Asuma really getting it on that much. "I bet you and Asuma went twenty rounds."

"Twenty-five," the raven-haired kunoichi mumbled dejectedly as she rested her chin on the table, her chopsticks protruding from her mouth.

That confession prompted both purple-haired women to break out laughing at their housemate. Kurenai blushed a deep red color as she realized that she should probably tone it down with her romantic life-mainly the sexual aspect of it. They were interrupted when someone set down their own breakfast and set down on the seat across from Anko.

Yugao turned her and saw a girl about Naruto's age or so with red hair chewing down upon the rice and eggs on her plate. "Who's the new girl Anko?" Yugao asked with a raised brow. "I've never seen her. She new to the Hidden Leaf?"

Kurenai raised her head to see the girl that her other purple haired friend pointed out and raised her eyebrow when she saw who it was. "Hitomi? What are doing here?"

Hitomi looked up from her breakfast and raised a hand and waved it slightly at the raven-haired kunoichi. "Hey Kurenai-sensei. Didn't know you lived here."

"You know her?" Yugao asked as she popped a piece of egg in her mouth and chewed away.

"Only a bit. She was one of the people among us who saw Naruto and Lord Jiraiya off when they began their three year training trip," Kurenai explained when she sat back up straight and stabbed one of the sausage links on her plate and popped it in her mouth.

"So your name's Hitomi huh?" Yugao asked. She then offered her hand to the girl beside her, "The name's Yugao. Nice to meet ya Hitomi." Hitomi took the hand and shook back and nodded to the other purple haired kunoichi before taking a sip of her orange juice.

"So what brings you to our humble abode?" the purple haired ANBU asked in an interested tone.

"Humble?" the redhead scoffed with a smirk. "This place is far from humble – it puts the Fire Daimyo's palace to shame! How in the world is your home so big? I mean it's more than five stories and has nearly a hundred rooms in it!" the redhead exclaimed as she walked into their walk-in pantry and rummaged around for honey.

"I'm the guilty party," the Tokubetsu jonin chuckled as she raised her hand. "This whole place used to actually be big apartment complex actually." Anko sipped her coffee and then let loose a large belch, which Kurenai scolded her for having no table manners.

"How in the world did you get your hands on the whole apartment complex?" Hitomi asked in a perplexed voice.

"Easy – I asked the Old Man for the apartment complex. He let me have the deed due to the fact no one other than me lived here." Hitomi knew the reason why Anko was the only living in the apartment complex because of her old connection to that traitorous snake that ruined both her own life and Anko's.

The redhead shook herself from her self-pity and asked, "How'd you get the money for all of this?"

"Wasn't easy I'll tell ya. I had only done about one hundred A-ranked missions and only a handful of S-rank missions – I think only two or three," Anko shook her head and chuckled. "Anyway... I had to get someone to help me fix this whole place up. Fortunately I had my friends Yugao and Kurenai help out."

"It still wasn't enough to tear down all the old rooms and walls and fix all of the plumbing and electric wiring is this stupid place. Almost fried my ass when Anko forgot to remind me that she didn't turn off the power in the room," Yugao said as she glared half-heartedly at her purple haired friend.

"I said I was sorry didn't I? Anyway we couldn't get all the necessary manpower or womanpower," she chuckled, "so we almost trashed the whole project to turn this place into our dream house."

"So – what saved it?" Hitomi asked sipping her orange juice through a bendy straw she found in the large walk-in pantry.

Anko, Yugao and Kurenai smirked, "Leave it to the Hidden Leaf's Number One Hyperactive, Knucklehead Ninja, Naruto Uzumaki, to be able to pull off and job," the three said at once.

"Naruto-kun helped out with this? How on earth could one genin do something a jonin, Tokubetsu jonin and a... um... what rank are you Yugao?"

"I'm an ANBU. In fact I'm one of the Hokage's personal ANBU guards and usually the ANBU watching over Naruto," the other purple haired kunoichi explained with a kind smile.

"Right," the redhead nodded, "So how could a genin do what a jonin, Tokubetsu jonin and an ANBU couldn't? I'm not saying he's weak, which he's far from," she whispered the last part to herself, "but what could he do that you women couldn't?"

"For one," Anko said, "He's got more energy than any of us in this room. Heck, what we did in three weeks he had gotten done in a matter of two days." All of the kunoichis acknowledged that fact but also knew that was due to Naruto being a jinchūriki and for the Nine-Tailed Fox no less.

"Second," Yugao said, "He's eager to please. I asked him if he could help out with the construction when I was watching over him once and he jumped the chance. He explained that it was the least he could do for his 'Cat-nee-chan' and her friends," Yugao giggled. Inside her head though, she berated herself for revealing her ANBU identity to a complete stranger, especially one who was a former enemy.

"Third," Kurenai supplied, "He's good at what he does and can do some of the finer things like wiring and plumbing." Kurenai shook her head; "He's also far smarter than I initially gave him credit. I thought because of his lack of good grades and commendations that he wasn't all that great other than being a tank-type shinobi. He proved that wrong when he was able to create, in his words, 'a fool-proof security system powered by seals.' He was right, zapped a peeping tom when he tried to look through one of the windows with a telescope (*). And he was nearly a block away from the building."

"And he also can use shadow clones," the three women said at once.

"I have to say," Yugao giggled as she rested her chin on her fist, "He's got more ability and potential than any of the past ninjas in this village. I think he's the only one with the potential of this generation of ninjas to become the next Hokage."

"Unattainable dreams are the best kind," Kurenai chipped in her two copper coins.

"I think that's not really an unattainable dream at all," Yugao said as she sipped her coffee. "I mean he already secured the alliances with several of our allies: Snow, or Spring as it's now called," she counted off on her hand. "Tea Country, Wave Country, Bird Country, Vegetable Country." Yugao looked at her fingers and shrugged, "I think that's it."

"When did we get alliances with Tea, Bird and Vegetable? Last time I checked we had only trade alliances with those three," Kurenai asked completely perplexed by the fact that three of their long time trading allies became full-time allies.

"It's actually due to Naruto. Between the time of Lady Tsunade's instatement as the Fifth Hokage and Uchiha, Sasuke's betrayal of the Leaf all of this occurred. It was during the times when the news would arrive at Lady Hokage's office and Naruto would be hanging around helping her and Shizune out with the paperwork using his Shadow Clones. He would always pout and complain and ask her for an adventure, like saving a country or a princess," that tidbit caused Hitomi to do a spit take.

"Wha-what?" she sputtered. "When did Naruto save any princesses? This is all news to me."

"He's saved three Koyuki Kazehana-"

"You mean the movie actress?" the redhead asked in a squeaky voice.

"Yes-she's the new Daimyo of Spring County. He also saved Toki, the new Daimyo of Bird Country, and Haruna, the new Daimyo of Vegetable country."

"Come to think of it," Kurenai pondered, "Whenever I had assignments to those countries for delivering messages from Lady Tsunade to those Daimyos, they would notice that I had the same forehead-protector as Naruto. Whenever they did, they would seem to get antsy and ask if I knew Naruto, which I would always answer yes. Afterward they would always ask me to relay any information about him."

Anko gained a mischievous smirk on her face, "Me thinks the three female Daimyos have a crush on our blonde little brother."

"You think that's the case?" Yugao asked as she leaned her seat back and kicked her feet onto the tabletop. "That would explain the pink letters with hearts stamped on the seal with love on it."

"Did it just get a little colder in here?" Kurenai asked as she pulled her robe closer to her body.

'Must control self,' a little voice in Hitomi's head commanded. 'Don't kill the bimbos after Naruto-kun. Don't want to cause a national incident... yet.'

"Hmm? Yugao did you turn down the thermostat down when you woke up?" Anko asked, not even realizing the dark look Hitomi had on her face or her muttering profanities, death threats and the like towards three unnamed women.

"I don't think so."

"Thank you for the breakfast Anko-nee," Hitomi said in a straight, even voice as she pushed her chair out and grabbed her dish and silverware. She then placed them on the counter beside the sink before leaving for her room.

After a time, the three women had sat in comfortable silence, only making conversation every now and again about current events, though the conversations only lasted a few minutes.

"So..." Yugao started as she watched the coffee maker from her position of leaning on the wall near the machine, "Hitomi called you 'Anko-nee' huh? You know her all that well?"

"I've known her just as long as I've known Naruto-kun," she chuckled, "Though the two used to call me Haruka-nee-chan. That was... before she disappeared," she whispered looking off into space.

"How'd she get back?" Kurenai asked now having joined the conversation. "I mean, she came back right around the time when Sasuke Uchiha betrayed the Hidden Leaf. Where has she been?"

"Well she- I mean- she was-" Anko groped for the right words to saw but could hardly find any suitable for an explanation.

"This have anything to do with Orochimaru at all Anko?" Yugao asked in a dead serious voice, pushing herself off the wall she was leaning on.

"How'd you know?" Anko asked in a quiet voice.

"So, she is one of Orochimaru's adjutants," Yugao said as she folded her arms over her chest.

"What?" Kurenai asked in as her eyes widened. "Shouldn't she be in the ANBU prison right now?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Yugao said as she stared into the amber eyes of her fellow purple haired kunoichi. "Why is the Lady Hokage letting one of our main enemies servants wander around here?"

"How would you know if she's one of Orochimaru's adjutants?" Anko asked bitterly as she stood up and glared at her friend.

"I was assigned by Lady Tsunade to watch over and keep Hitomi "Tayuya" Harusuki in line due to her past connections with Orochimaru. She is to be watched over at all times and if any evidence is found that she s conspiring to leak any vital information about the Leaf to Orochimaru or plans to betray us, she is to be executed on the spot."

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" Anko shouted at her friend. "SHE IS OUR ALLY AND MY LITTLE SISTER! NOT ONLY THAT, SHE WAS ALSO A FORMER CITIZEN OF THE HIDDEN LEAF! WHY IS SHE TO BE EXECTUED FOR SOMETHING THAT HAUNTS HER PAST!"

"She could still be a credible threat to the Leaf. We have no idea whether or not the seal on her that ties her to Orochimaru is still active or not. And we can not trust her word that the seal is now gone and that Orochimaru has no sway in her actions," Yugao explained.

"That's complete bullshit Yugao! Why am I not being watched over by ANBU everyday of my life like Hitomi-chan! Why do I not have all of those dangerous things hanging over my head because of my past connection with Orochimaru? Huh? Answer my Yugao!" the purple haired kunoichi screamed.

"It's because the Third Hokage placed enough trust in you and you proved his trust correct and that Lady Tsunade understands the position you were once place in," Yugao explained in a cool voice as she poured her coffee.

"Then why does Hitomi need such harsh punishments for things she would never commit again?"

"Because Lady Tsunade does not trust her enough," Yugao said with her eyes closed, hands crossed over her chest.

"Well, Naruto-kun trusts her enough! That should be proof enough for you that she wouldn't do anything wrong."

"Do you not forget the number of people who have taken advantage of Naruto's trust and hurt him? He has placed his trust in many before him, Sasuke Uchiha being the one who he called his best friend," the purple haired ANBU said in disdain, "and rival and then later being betrayed by said Uchiha. Face it Anko, Naruto's trust is not all that great when it comes to people. In truth it's gotten him in more trouble and those around him as well than it did him any good."

"You take that back!" Anko threatened.

"Why should I?" Yugao asked with an upraised brow, pouring her coffee into a coffee cup, her voice a tone of indifference. "I'm looking at all of this from a ninja's point of view. Face the facts, she is a former enemy being allowed to walk around here in our village freely, albeit with limited rights, but free nonetheless. She's lucky that Lady Tsunade trusts Naruto's belief in Hitomi to allow her these freedoms, or else she would be locked up in the ANBU jail." She then walked toward Anko and stopped right beside the other woman.

"Anko," the other purple haired kunoichi chided, "You're letting your former attachment to this girl cloud your judgement. You're a kunoichi, emotions are supposed to surpressed. I have nothing against you or Hitomi, but orders are orders and if she threatens my home, I will protect it." With that said, Yugao walked out of the room and down the corridor.

Anko slumped back into her seat and felt like killing something to take out her frustrations. In the background, she could her the closing of one of the many exits.

"Anko... you okay?" Kurenai asked as she placed her hand on her friend's shoulder and hugged her to her side. "Yugao right though... But... Don't let it get you down, all right? I'm sure Yugao and Lady Tsunade will warm up to Hitomi later on. You just have to wait. Don't let what was said here break you friendship with Yugao."

The purple haired Tokubetsu jonin sighed as she accepted the words of her friend. "Yeah... You're right. I shouldn't blame Yugao at all. It's her job to protect the Leaf. Maybe I was acting a little childish and defensive of Hitomi."

"Anko, you wouldn't be you if you didn't act like a child sometimes," the raven-haired kunoichi laughed.

"Real funny!" the purple haired woman laughed back as she playfully shoved her other friend.

"I'm serious Anko!" Kurenai smiled back as she playfully shoved Anko back.

'_At least Anko understands now.'_ Yugao thought to herself as she kicked off the door. _'Maybe I was a little harsh... I'll have to make it up to her and Hitomi later.'_ Yugao then sipped her coffee and pulled the zipper up on her sweater and headed off to the business district to pick up some groceries for the house.

The purple haired woman truely did not mean any of what she said, well maybe on a professional level she did. But, on a personal level, those words stung her as much as they did Anko. Of course she would never disregard Naruto's trust in others, but sometimes she worried for him. Every time someone did betray Naruto's trust and almost injury him to the point of a comatose state, the Third Hokage would always have to bench Yugao. It wasn't due to the fact of her being out if it, it was whenever it came to apprehending the perpetrator, because he knew if she got her hands on that person, there would be hell to pay.

Everyone in the ANBU division knew of her fierce loyalty and love for the boy she saw as her younger brother; second only to another purple haired Tokubetsu Jonin and third only to that of a certain silver-haired man. The whole ANBU found out not talk bad about Naruto when she dished out what could be called an 'epic beat down' on a group of rookie ANBU who thought it would be funny to 'teach' Naruto a lesson. Suffice to say the Hokage was not pleased when he found three scrolls shoved up into a place where any man should not be violated... ever!

Yugao whistled a jaunty tune as she walked from the apartment she, Anko, Kurenai, and Hitomi now shared with each other. Mentally, she knew many things would change, and wondered how the ninja force would react when they found out one of their main enemy's adjutants was among them and connected to Naruto. Whatever came, she knew the shit would hit the fan in no time. She just hoped that they would be able to handle it well enough and not have the situation go to snafu.

* * *

><p>High above on the sixth floor of the building the four women were staying at was Hitomi looking out from the balcony constructed by most likely Naruto. She marveled at the construct that her childhood friend and love had built in the time of only most likely a week. The wood was most likely, was that walnut wood? How in the Elemental Nations did Naruto get his hands on walnut wood? Last time the redhead checked, walnut wood was nearly extinct on the mainland nations and barely grew anywhere else. Only other known place it grew was at Water Country surprisingly, and it had a high tax on walnut wood.<p>

She marveled at the balcony before leaning against on of the wooden pillars and looking over the Hidden Leaf Village and marveling at its beauty. Far to the east, she could see the sun already breaking away from the horizon and rising into the sky. She turned her sights downward and smiled as she saw children run around the streets playing ninja with one another and parents conversing with each other at their leisure. To the northeast she could see the businesses opening up and street vendors peddling their wares off to the masses. Even when the sun had barely risen above the horizon, the Hidden Leaf was bustling with life.

She couldn't believe this is the life she once had, once missed - but now had back, because of her childhood friend. She just wished she had been here for him during all those lonely years. If only...

"So this is where you are huh?" a voice from right beside the redhead caused her to jump slightly and nearly fall off the balcony. The redhead inhaled and exhaled steadily to steady her heartbeat. She looked to her right and glared slightly at the raven-haired beauty beside her. "Sorry, I scare you?"

Hitomi nodded to the raven-haired beauty beside her, but seethed on the inside. Hitomi was not only a genjutsu mistress, but she had some chakra sensing abilities up her sleeves. So how in the world did Kurenai sneak up on her without her even noticing? Even if the red-eyed kunoichi surpressed her chakra, Hitomi should have at least felt a small amount of chakra leaking out. There was something wrong, but she just couldn't get her finger on it.

"So... What's your relationship to Naruto Hitomi?" the jonin started.

"I was his childhood friend about nine years ago. We lived in the Lost Children Orphanage near the-"

"You both lived there at that place? Wasn't it burned down in the Pyre of Summer about eight years ago?"

Hitomi nodded to the woman beside her. "The very one. It was because of that event that I was torn from Naruto-kun." Hitomi's hand gripped the railing of the balcony and one could hear the groaning and straining of the wood. Some small cracks also came into life on the wood gripped in her hands. "If it wasn't for my memories of my past when I was serving as one on Orochimaru's adjutants, I wouldn't have kept my sanity." The redhead sighed wistfully as she let go of the railing and leaned her elbows against the railing and looked over the village. "Those dreams of my past kept my afloat during that entire time..." she trailed off.

"It... must've been hard, huh?" the childhood friend of Asuma Sarutobi asked, knowing full well what she herself would have felt if she were ripped away from her childhood friend and love. "Did you... Did you ever feel like giving up sometimes?" she asked in an interested tone.

Hitomi chuckled at the question and smiled at the raven-haired kunoichi. "Many time to tell you the truth. Sometimes... I felt like giving up my whole life and look for the most dangerous mission to end my life, Orochimaru wouldn't have cared either way as long as it served his purpose. But, every time I was close to losing all hope, I would always remember those warm blue eyes I wanted to see once more, those bright yellow locks that radiated the color of the sun and that warm, loving smile that was once for only me.

"Because I held onto the hope of seeing those features of the child I shared my childhood with, or I hoped so back then, I would always strive to break free of the prison I was in. Even if the dreams I had back then were nothing but pipe dreams my mind made up so I could cope with this life, I still hoped it was truely real to begin with. I'm finally free of it now... and I was able to see the boy I shared my life with once more."

Kurenai had a small sad smile on her face as she looked over the Hidden Leaf, a hint of melancholy in her eyes. "I probably wouldn't have held up if it were me and Asuma in Naruto and your positions... forgetting everything about the one you shared your first few years of life with. Not even being able to tell whether or not it was all a dream or memories trying to punch through the mist, I couldn't bear it. I couldn't bear it even if I had to fight him, even if I don't know whether or not we once connected by something. I just..." Kurenai let out a shuddered breathe as she though about it, "couldn't do it."

Hitomi looked at the woman beside her and wondered what she meant by that. "Who is he?" she asked curiously.

"His name is Asuma Sarutobi. He is the son of our Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi."

"I'm sorry..." the redhead whispered, her hair shadowing her eyes.

"Huh? What for?"

"It's because of Orochimaru that he's dead... and I helped make sure no one helped your Third Hokage. By proxy, that means I also killed him too."

Kurenai looked at the younger girl beside her and shook her head. "No, you didn't kill him, Orochimaru did. And even if you didn't put up that barrier, he would have had someone else do it instead. You at least show that you are remorseful for the late Hokage's death." The raven-haired kunoichi smiled softly as she patted Hitomi's shoulder. "That is why I don't fault you for having done so. You at least wanted to save him, right?" Kurenai asked, hoping to Kami above that Hitomi did want to do something at that time.

"At that time, I felt like dropping the barrier when your Ho- I mean, the Old Man had that bastard on the ropes. I wanted to see the ANBU waiting at the barrier to open up on Orochimaru and tear him multiple new ones. I wanted to see that boy in my dreams if I could, if he was real... But, I was afraid about what would happen if they weren't enough. I was afraid of what happen to me for 'betraying' that bastard, when I hadn't even truely seen him as the leader he once was."

"What do you once was? Wasn't Orochimaru always evil?"

"Not completely when I met him. Eight years ago, when I met him, he was a kind man who just wanted to build a nation for those who felt outcasted, abandoned by their homes, friends and families. He wanted a nation for those who had no other place to call home. That's all he wished for.

"He even found someone to hold onto one day, this was actually before her met me. Her name was Natsuki Tayuya. In fact, that's where I got my other name, Natsuki also saw it fitting for me to take her last name for my own as well. She was a beautiful, radiant person who brought the best out in everyone. She was even close to being able to drag out the old Orochimaru that was once part of the Legendary Three Ninjas. Because of her, she was able to make us feel like a family, Orochimaru, her and I... But..."

"What happened to her?" Kurenai asked as she moved herself and Hitomi to one of the outdoor couches on the balcony.

"Orochimaru sent her and a group of his most trusted friends who set up the Hidden Sound Village as a diplomatic ambassador party to the Hidden Leaf Village to reconcile with the Leaf. It was so the Old Man and Orochimaru could meet on neutral ground to try and reconcile with one another. There was something important Orochimaru wanted to tell the Old Man.

"He knew he had caused much pain and sinned much, but he could never recall whenever that happened, it was as if the memories were there, but out of his reach. He had found out that there was a dangerous chakra parasite attached to both his heart and brain. It was known as the Daemon Snake due to the fact it was found to live only within snakes, particularly the White Snake of Dreams, and those who have been injected with snake venom. Orochimaru found a shed skin of the White Snake of dreams and the parasite had jumped to him and lay dormant within his body until he began injecting himself with small amounts of snake venom to build up immunity to it. When he did, the Daemon Snake awakened from its dormant state and ruined the man everyone once knew.

"The parasite was said to devour the chakra and life energy of a person and replace it with a corrupted form of it, turning all emotions into base instincts. It would also supplant the original personality with a bastardized version of itself. The Orochimaru I knew had the thing almost beaten because of the clue 'Ai'."

"Love?" Kurenai asked with her head cocked to one side. "It could be beaten by love? I've heard of love conquering all but this takes the cake."

Hitomi laughed as well, knowing full well that it sounded completely like it was out of a child's fairy tale. " It's true. It was found out that if a strong, and powerful happy emotion, memory or feeling was in the person's heart and mind, it would apparently purge the parasite from the host due to strength of the life force and will of the host. He already had the love from Natsuki, and my love as a daughter," she chuckled, "now he just needed the trust restored in him by the Old Man and his former friends. He even told me that when the Leaf and Sound were allies, he would help me find the blonde haired boy in my dreams and wouldn't quit until he was found... Sadly that never happened.

"Orochimaru was almost ready to set out and meet with the Hokage when he received the message from one of his scouts. He learned that Natsuki and the party was ambushed on their way towards the Hidden Leaf and the ones who assaulted them were clothed in ANBU regulation uniforms, and that," Hitomi choked up right there on the spot and teared up as she mouthed the words, "Natsuki was killed." Now, Hitomi truely broke down as the scars of her past were reopened and all the pain she experienced was let out.

Kurenai hugged the crying girl and patted her on the back as she rocked the younger girl back and forth. She really pitied this girl now, having lost so much within only a few years, and almost being killed... The raven-haired beauty understood fully well what it was like to lose a parent, especially a father when you were that young. The red-eyed woman looked down on the redhead and smiled sadly at her as she smoothed out her long neck-length hair. Kurenai wondered where Hitomi got her strength and then remembered them talking earlier about Naruto. So, even when Naruto was not around, the people whose hearts he had touched, still resonated with his strength and will. It seems even a small memory of him was able to keep this girl afloat in an ocean of despair.

"Why? Why did she have to die? First Naruto, then my mother and then my father, I hated the Leaf! It was because of them I lost my friend and my family!" Kurenai's widened when she heard that come out of Hitomi's mouth. "Those damn ANBU took me from Naruto, and they killed my mother! If mom had lived, I would have never have lost my dad! If they hadn't done that crap, none of this shit would have happened! I hate them! I hate the Hidden Leaf because of what it did to all I cared for! I-"

Hitomi was quickly silenced by a small nudge to the temple and fell down onto the couch unconscious. Kurenai looked over the girl with much sadness in her eyes. She shook her head and wondered if Hitomi's tale was the only nearly destroyed by the Hidden Leaf. She sighed sadly before she dispersed into a cloud of smoke.

* * *

><p>When the memories of Kurenai's shadow clone enhanced by genjutsu, idea courtesy of Naruto, reached the original woman's brain, the raven-haired woman turned to purple-haired Tokubetsu jonin beside her and asked, "Anko, was Orochimaru ever, I'm not sure how to put this, different at times?"<p>

The purple haired woman shrugged and thought on that as she poked the dead, she knew it was alive anyway, snake on the rock with a stick. "He would be weird at times, yes. I mean the guy was a psychopath, a genius, but still a psychopath. Sometimes he would act nice and we'd go eat dango at one of the restaurants. Sometimes, I would see this crazy gleam in his eyes whenever I went to meet him for training, why?" she asked turning to her friend with a questioning look. Behind the snake opened its eyes and blew a, what one could make out, raspberry at the woman. But then it played dead again when Anko turned her back around towards the snake and glared at the reptile.

Kurenai just mulled over the bit of information that Anko told her before asking, "Have you ever heard of the Daemon Snake? Does that name ring any bells at all?"

"I'm not sure. I never studied anything named that while under Orochimaru." Her eyes then turned toward the snake resting on the rock and then back at Kurenai. Anko then got a sinister smile on her face as she turned toward the snake behind her and grabbed it by the neck (?) and ran to one of her spare rooms. Kurenai blinked for a second, wondering what had just happened. She stood there for about four minutes before following after her friend.

When Kurenai entered the room Anko had entered a few minutes ago, she sweatdropped when she saw the snake dangling by a rope over a cauldron of boiling water over a fire. The raven-haired beauty turned her head and saw Anko chopping up carrots, celery and corn and throwing into the cauldron with an apron over her jeans and tank top. Over her head was a chef's hat as well.

"So, are you going to talk?" Anko asked the snake as she dropped some carrots into the cauldron.

"Never!" the snake hissed.

"Needs more salt," Anko said to herself, as she tasted the soup. The snake glared, well for a snake anyway, at Anko, before realizing the rope was getting longer and itself closer to the pot. "What was that?" the purple haired woman asked in an innocent voice.

"The Daemon Snake is a parasite for Orochi's sake! It lives within all of us snakes, especially the White Snake of Dreams and can destroy anyone's soul! It can corrupt even the brightest of souls if a trace of snake DNA is found in the host! Last I heard that's why Manda is such a bastard! He's got one up his fucking asshole! There I said it! Now let me outa here!" the snake cried, spilling its guts. Anko nodded to the snake and let go of the rope holding the snake up and waved to it as it plunged in. "Damn you Anko!"

The snake fell in and bubbles surfaced for a few seconds. Kurenai just stood at the door sweatdropping at the whole thing while Anko had a proud look on her face, hands on her hips. A second later the snake surfaced and swan to the edge of the cauldron before slithering over it and falling to the ground. It turned its head to the 'flame' at the bottom of the cauldron and sweatdropped when it saw it was the fake fire used for Halloween tricks.

"I hate you," the snake deadpanned to Anko before slithering off to rest back on the rock in its room before Anko disturbed its sleep.

"Why'd you do that Anko?" Kurenai asked her friend as she and Anko left the room for one of the other lounges in their shared home.

"So I could learn about the Daemon Snake," Anko shrugged as she untied the apron and set it on one of the coat racks. "I guessed if it had to do with snakes, a snake would know it then, especially if it was a summon snake." Her and Kurenai had now entered the lounge with a waterfall in it and sat down on one of the benches. "So, what's the Daemon Snake have to do with anything?"

"I'm not sure how to put this but," Kurenai bit her lip, "But, you remember how Orochimaru would act all random. Like he would be kind and considerate one minute, then uncaring and cold the next?"

"What's that have to do with the Daemon Snake?" Anko asked, not realizing that the answer was right in front of her.

Kurenai sighed heavily before saying, "Orochimaru's soul was destroyed by the Daemon Snake. The man you knew was barely able to fight it off and keep his will dominant. At times, from what Hitomi told me, Orochimaru would have a Multiple Personality Disorder, but in truth, that as him trying to keep his body. She even told me he was close to being who he once was. I'm not sure what she told me was true or not, but I believe she has no reason to lie to me."

Kurenai then launched into story of how Hitomi lost her mother figure and then father figure. "Orochimaru was actually good before? I thought he was always demented." Kurenai glared half-heartedly at her friend, expecting her to be less harsh. "Don't get me wrong, that makes it reasonable why he became so evil, but that doesn't mean he's not gonna pay for everything he's done."

"I know that. Orochimaru also believed, back then, that he must die as well so that he can be released of the sins he had unknowingly commited." The childhood friend of Asuma Sarutobi then asked, "What did Hitomi mean when the ANBU caused her to become separated from Naruto?"

"It starts at the Pyre of Summer nearly eight years ago Kurenai. I'll tell you what I have heard." Anko then launched the story of the events of the Pyre of Summer from not only her point of view, but Hitomi's as well. When she had finished her narrative, both women sat in silence and contemplated on the gathered information.

'_The Leaf as many dark secrets it is hiding, why would it do such things, what would it gain?_' Anko thought to herself as she contemplated her friend's words.

'_It doesn't add up. What is the point of all this? Whoever is pulling the strings behind this is trying to achieve some goal, but what? I fell like something important is missing from this large puzzle. And whatever it is, it's got Naruto and Hitomi at the center of it._' Kurenai thought as her analytical mind pieced some of the information to form a picture.

Both women turned to one another and when they locked eyes, knew that this was something much larger than either of them.

"Somethings going to happen Anko, I don't know what, but I do know this; this is something that has had its roots planted nearly eight years ago," Kurenai said as she looked to the waterfall and lamented on the consequences that were to come.

"It wasn't planted eight years ago Kurenai," Anko explained as she leaned against the bench. "If this has anything to do with Naruto, that means that the Nine-Tailed Fox's assault on October 10th was no accident."

Kurenai's eyes widened when Anko suggested that. "You mean, someone planned for that to happen? Who would be strong enough to call upon the King of Demons? No one is that strong."

"There was one person, long ago..." Anko trailed off, letting Ninja History 101 kick back in for Kurenai.

This time, instead of Kurenai's eyes widening, they bugged out. "You don't seriously mean that Madara Uchiha caused all of it?" She frowned when she was given a serious look from Anko. "But Madara was defeated by the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju at the Valley of the End. There's no way he could have survived for another 50 years! If he did, the man would be more ancient that the late Third Hokage! You can't possibly insinuate that someone from the Leaf's past is trying to destroy it."

"Just think Kurenai," Anko said as she looked up toward the ceiling, "it just fits too easily. Madara Uchiha was said to have been able to control the Nine-Tailed Fox with his Sharingan. The only clan with that bloodline-limit was killed nearly five years ago, leaving only two survivors. Orochimaru now has one of those survivors under his wing. Not only that, but Hitomi somehow survives the Pyre of Summer and lands up in Orochimaru's hands before everything spiraled down?

"Naruto was supposed to be weakened by the whole Pyre of Summer ordeal, but he instead forgot all of it. Hitomi and him reunite after eight years? The likeliness of them reuniting with one another is astronomical, especially when she was near death at the forest. I don't think all of these pieces were supposed to fall into place like this."

"What do you mean?" Kurenai asked, now completely confused by what Anko meant. Sure she understood what Anko said; Madara controlled the Nine-Tails. The Uchiha are dead, with one of the survivors ending up in Orochimaru's hands. Hitomi somehow remembers her past. Naruto was supposed to lose a piece of himself in this, but instead, forgot all of the events of that time. Naruto and Hitomi's chances of meeting one another. What was Anko getting at?

"What I mean is that we know all of this because of the memories from both Hitomi and Naruto. Both of their shattered memories have been mended and are crystal clear when both of them were supposed to have lost all of that past, Hitomi's miraculous escape from death's doorstep. Naruto was also supposed to be traumatized by the events that occurred eight years ago, yet he was protected by something that released those memories just a few days ago. It seems like someone or something is interfering in the affairs of this world. And it also seems apparent, that someone is trying to expose the mastermind behind all of these events. Which means, Orochimaru is just a puppet as well."

"Orochimaru, a puppet?" Kurenai asked in a ludicrous tone, "You can't be serious. Orochimaru is too smart for that. He would never let someone control him."

"Maybe not directly, but maybe subtly," Anko shrugged. "But someone is trying to pull off some master plan. We already have several pieces to the puzzle. The Akatsuki you encountered about a six months ago is one piece. Orochimaru and the Daemon Snake controlling him; there's just no way it just landed in his lap, I know it. The Nine-Tailed Fox's attack thirteen years ago on the Leaf. The Pyre of Summer and the assassination of Natsuki at the hands of the 'Leaf' ANBU. Sure, someone may say they are accidents or coincidences, but these can't be. We're ninjas; we can't accept coincidences, because coincidences get you killed."

Kurenai looked at her friend with pride in her eyes, "I never knew you could be so analytical Anko."

Anko nodded to her friend but wondered who was the one who caused all of these 'coincidences' and 'accidents'. She also wondered who the person interfering in the first person's plans was. She only knew that whatever the first person's plans were, they weren't good at all. She just wondered what would have happened if that person never existed and screwed the hell out of the world. Maybe then... Anko shook her head and turned to her head. "Maybe we should get Hitomi to go out with us for a bit."

"That doesn't sound bad," Kurenai said, standing up from the bench and stretching her idle joints. "Which training ground are we going to?"

"Eh, let's go to Training Ground 4. I'd rather give Hitomi-chan a heart attack in the Forest of Death."

* * *

><p>"So, someone has pieced together a piece of the puzzle," a man with a cross-shaped scar over his right face mumbled. He turned his head upward and gazed at the stars above him and marveled at the beauty of the cosmos. "Soren, Soren, Soren... What would Astrid say if she saw you now?" the star-wanderer asked himself.<p>

"She would have told you to do what you thought best Soren," a voice whispered into his ear. Soren smiled softly as he felt someone embrace him from behind. He luckily held in his nosebleed when the person, a woman, pressed their assets into his back. He could see the mane of silvery-white hair that hung from the woman's head and knew who it was.

"Hikari," Soren mumbled. "Are you sure I should have done all of this? I mean interfering in another world's affairs?"

"As long as you believe what you are doing is right for this world, it doesn't matter either way, so long as you save this world," the Guardian Spirit whispered as she held onto the star-wanderer.

'_But will Naruto be strong enough in the end?_' Soren asked himself before he and Hikari faded away back into the recesses of Naruto's soul. Naruto, who was only five meters from them, turned over on his side and smiled in his sleep as he dreamt of returning home to Hitomi.

"He seems so innocent," the kunoichi going along with the grandfather and grandson commented. "I can't believe he's the Nine-Tailed Fox's jinchūriki."

"He is. I take it Orochimaru has told all of his subordinates about it, right?" He sighed when the kunoichi nodded back. "So what's your name anyway?" he asked in an honest, serious tone.

* * *

><p>"What is the status of the Nine-Tailed Fox jinchūriki?" the silhouette of a man with purple ringed eyes asked his subordinates Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki.<p>

"He is on the move toward Lighting Country and the Village Hidden in the Clouds."

"Is that not where the Two-Tailed Cat jinchūriki is located at along with the Eight-Tailed Ox jinchūriki?" the mysterious leader asked.

"Yes," one on of the silhouettes with dark eyes answered. "Yugito Nii and Kirabi, a.k.a. Killer Bee, are both located in the Village Hidden in the Clouds."

"What is Jiraiya of the Three Legendary Ninjas and Naruto Uzumaki's estimated time of arrival for the Hidden Cloud Village?" the leader asked.

"An estimated one to two weeks," a man with a giant jaw protruding from his shoulders informed. "They are traveling with a kunoichi formerly from the Hidden Sound." Murmurs of Orochimaru's village sprang up, but were quickly silenced by a powerful blast of chakra from the leader in the center.

"Itachi and Kisame, I want you to keep tracking Jiraiya and Naruto Uzumaki. I also want you to team up with Hidan and Kakuzu when they perform their surveillance of the Hidden Cloud. I want all information found out on these three. Do not blow your cover at all. If you are discovered, do not engage them unless necessary, but use a show of power to scare them. I want them to know that we could have crushed them at any time and yet we let them live, for I am a merciful God. But then, I will show them Pein," the figure promised before dispersing along with another silhouette in the shape of a woman. One by one, all the figures disappeared from the chamber that Itachi and Kisame had entered to commence the meeting of the Akatsuki. The two nodded to one another before donning their sugegasa (1*) and leaving the barren cave for the Village Hidden in the Clouds.

* * *

><p>"Are you going to train me or what?" Sasuke asked impatiently.<p>

"Yes I will, but first, one must learn his history," Orochimaru cackled as he walked through the dank dark corridor of one of his many bases in Rice Country.

"What the hell would I need with history?" the young Uchiha asked with a scowl on his face.

"This history may be more important to you than you think," the white skinned member of the Legendary Three Ninjas chuckled. He then stopped before a large wooden door and pushed passed it into a spacious room with walls upon walls of books. The air in this room felt warm and dry, most likely due to the fact of trying to preserve the books. The man had not even looked at any of the other books, but instead walked all the way through towards the back of the large library, with Sasuke trailing slowly behind.

When the missing-nin reached the back and stopped, he turned toward Sasuke and motioned toward the book on the stand. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and walked toward the book resting on the stand. The book seemed ancient, maybe as old as the Hidden Leaf itself. The leather binding on it was chipped in some places and some of the pages appeared to be falling apart inside the book. But it was the symbols and the title that truely intrigued him. Three symbols stood an equal distance from each other, a triangle easily seen by their design. The symbols were that of a fan that was half white, half red, a line with a small outward curve surrounded by a larger one, and a spiral inside of a circle. The title above the symbols was **Story of the Hidden Leaf: The History of the Senjus, Uchihas and Uzumakis**.

* * *

><p><strong><em>'The Gears of Fate are shifting<em>**  
><strong><em>The once destined path is gone<em>**  
><strong><em>A divergence has occurred<em>**  
><strong><em>And a new future awaits.'<em>**

* * *

><p><strong>End of Three Years arc: Episode III<strong>

**Trust and Mystery**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong>

**If you think it seem like Anko, Kakashi and Naruto live in the lap of luxury, consider many factors of how they were able to procure their individual whole apartment complex. For one, all three of them are isolated from the masses of society. And also, we hardly truely know what their homes appear to be except in few cases where we see few shots of the rooms.**

**Also, they had already bought the apartment complexes from the Hokage so no one other than they can do much about who lives there. Another thing, Anko lives with Kurenai and Yugao and the first three women are jonin while the third is an ANBU. I believe their combined paychecks are substantial enough to support a building that size. Kakashi's situation is easy to explain due to the fact of him being a former ANBU Captain and being the son of Sakumo Hatake.**

**Naruto's case is easier to explain due to a few words: Seal, Master, and Merchandise. I mean, I've given Naruto exceptional abilities, thus far, with the seals. He could make a plethora of useful items for the everyday use, including the security seals.**

**Also the building of Anko, Kurenai and Yugao's dream house or building (whatever you want to call it!) occurred during the time between Tsunade's induction as the Hokage and Sasuke's betrayal of the Leaf.**

**I've also gone with giving Yugito an accent-yes, an accent. I believe it's called the Kansai (Western Japanese) accent. If you've ever Mitsune Konno (or Konno Mitsune "Kitsune") she has a Kansai accent. She [Yugito] will be using honorifics in her speaking and will address people, like Naruto as, Naruto-han or Naruto-dan. Her "I's" will be "Ah's" and many other subtle changes in speaking. If you read it out loud it sounds funny.**

"**Ah don't know 'bout y'all, but Ah'm ah gettin' maself outa her'!" XD**

**If I'm insulting any Southerns of the US or any people from Western Japan, I'm sorry. But I just love the accent! I'm thinking about either a Southern Belle or a spunky Kansai Japanese woman... Erm... Forget I said anything.**

**Also note that the events that occurred during Naruto the Movie 3: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom will not occur until after the three-year training trip. Also disregard the events that occurred during Naruto the Movie 2: Legend of the Stone of Gelel. All of those movies will have their own arc in the story and the characters involved will be slightly, and I stress slightly, different. Also, disregard all things that occurred during the filler arcs in Naruto. Naruto did all of the country alliances and special events that occurred by his own power and with Jiraiya's supervision. Also Naruto will resolve the war that is going to occur between Fang Country and Claw Country on his training trip but later on in the second year.**

**Timeline for Orochimaru and events related to him:**

**54 years before events of story- Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru are born**

**49 years before events of story- Orochimaru (age 5) loses his parents to the First Ninja War, Orochimaru finds shed snake skin of the White Snake of Dreams, Daemon Snake latches onto its new host Orochimaru, first Ninja War ends, meets Hiruzen (age 20)**

**44 years before events of story- Jiraiya, Tsunade and Orochimaru (10 years old) are taken as Hiruzen's genin squad (25 years old)**

**39 years before events of story- Minato Namikaze is born to Tsunade (15 years) and Jiraiya (15 years) (Details of birth will be revealed in later chapter)**

**31 years before events of story- Daemon Snake begins its workings, Second Ninja War begins**

**30 years and 1 month before events of story- Dan and Nawaki die (unknown age, not given in any database)**

**29 years before events of story- Given the title, along with Jiraiya (age 25) and Tsunade (age 25), of Legendary Three Ninjas by Hanzo of the Salamander, comes across the Rain Orphans**

**27 years before events of story- Second Ninja War comes to an end, Tsunade (age 27) leaves the Hidden Leaf**

**18 years before events of story- Third Ninja War begins**

**15 years before events of story- Third Ninja War ends**

**14 years and 11 months before events of story- Minato Namikaze succeeds Hiruzen Sarutobi as Fourth Hokage (age 25), begin of downward spiral**

**14 years before events of story- Anko Mitarashi (age 10) taken as apprentice to Orochimaru, beginnings of dual personalities show up**

**14-10 years before events of story- Anko is held in stasis**

**13 years before events of story- Attack of the Nine-Tailed Fox**

**9 years before events of story- Orochimaru (age 42) defects from the Hidden Leaf Village and joins Akatsuki**

**8 years and 9 months before events of story- Leaves Akatsuki and meets Natsuki, power of Daemon snake weaken**

**8 years and 6 months before events of story- Founds the Hidden sound Village with Natsuki and friends**

**8 years before events of story- Marries Natsuki Tayuya and meets Hitomi (age 5) and brings her to the Hidden Sound and adopts her as his daughter**

**7 years before events of story- Natsuki dies, Orochimaru's will and spirit is broken and Daemon Snake takes complete control over and supplants the original personality**

**6 years and 11 months before events of story- Hidden Sound is reorganized into what it is today, all known traces of the former Orochimaru are gone**

**5 years before events of story- Uchiha Clan Massacre occurs and Itachi Uchiha joins Akatsuki, Orochimaru also rejoins Akatsuki to take the Sharingan**

**4 years before events of story- Leaves Akatsuki after failing to take Itachi's Sharingan and returns to the Hidden Sound along with Kabuto**

**1 year prior to events of story- all canon events occur**

**Note that Orochimaru defects from the Leaf before the Uchiha Massacre and only joins it for a passing leisure. Akatsuki was not up and completely running until four years after he left, when Tobi, or Madara Uchiha, joined it. When he rejoins, he is partnered up with Sasori and his only goal then was to take the Sharingan for himself.**

**Also note that the Great Ninja Wars do not last for more than a few years and that the peace in-between the wars is only about fourteen or so years. Also don't ask why the wars last for such a short time. All of the villages are at war with one another; it's only war when everyone is aware of it. So maybe they should rename the wars the War of the Ninja Nations instead of the Great Ninja Wars. Why? Because there will always be fighting amongst ninjas.**

'**Because war is not fair.'**

**Yes, I have made Jiraiya, Tsunade and Orochimaru three years older. It's for the story's sake. **

**Yeah, Minato was young when he was chosen to be Hokage, 25 years old. Well, Hiruzen was, probably, 19 or so at the time. While I am on topic, if you're wondering why Tsunade left when she had Minato and why no one remembers him as a child, especially Nawaki and Dan, then your questions will be answered in a few chapters. Also, please private message me if you have any questions, that way we can ping-pong the conversation back and forth. Thank you.**

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><p><strong>Author's Rants: <strong>

**It was really weird having to write in 'girl'. I tell ya, it is really weird what goes through their heads. I mean sure I have explosions, death, mayhem, chaos, sacrificial virgins and flame-throwers going through my head, but theirs, it is nuts man! (*Shudder*) I don't want to even know what they think about sex, because I know women have more kinky fetishes then us men. I'm not trying to sound sexist, but it's true, er, somewhat... I think.**

**If I'm wrong and you're a girl and feel offended by the way I portrayed Yugao, Kurenai and Anko, then please flame me with your righteous female fury.**

**(*) If you can guess who the peeping tom is I'll give you a cookie. Here's another hint too: notepad and books.**

**(1*) It's the straw hats worn by the Akatsuki in the anime and manga. This is the actual name of the article of clothing though the Japanese name of it. It has many other names, but I am using the Japanese version.**

**Don't flame if you think this story is too complicated, it's not. I am trying my best to make it a fanfiction while also trying to keep some elements of canon, mostly the timeline and events, intact. If you have a problem with the story being right, read the other slosh in this place if you don't like this story or read someone, who is better at writing stories than I am, else's story.**

**Official pairings thus far:**

**1. Asuma Sarutobi and Kurenai Yuhi**

**2. Iruka Umino and Anko Mitarashi (Friends from the events of Pyre of Summer)**

**3. Jiraiya Namikaze and Tsunade Senju**

**4. Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki (Only mentions)**

**5. Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze and Hitomi 'Tayuya' Harusuki (Main Pairing!)**

**6. Orochimaru (Original) and Natsuki Shiromaki**

**7. Yahiko and Konan**

**8. Sasori and Diedara's twin sister**

**9. Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha... Maybe... **

**10. Neji Hyuga and Tenten Harukami**

**11. Kiba Inuzuka and Hinata Hyuga**

**12. Ino Yamanaka and Shino Aburume... That is so weird...**

**13. Shikamaru Nara and Temari of the Desert**

**14. Choji Akimichi and Ayame Ichiraku... Weird too...**

**I think that's all of the ones that may be mentioned or have hints about them... Actually, forget all pairings mentioned except for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, and 13. The rest are options that you readers will vote on when my current poll closes.**

**I gave Jiraiya his name because he is Minato's father after all. Only he [Jiraiya] knows his real surname. If you complain about his last name _I _gave him, then you can also complain to Kishimoto for not giving a last name to Orochimaru and Jiraiya.**

**I just opened a frigging oil drum of worms (Worse than a can of worms).**

**Also, the current votes on the 'Should I add a second girl to the main pairing in Memories Lost, Lingering Futures? This will only come into affect when the Akatsuki start to truely move.' poll.**

**Votes so far:**

**Yes, Yugito- 4**

**Yes, Amaru- 4**

**Yes, Kurotsuchi- 3**

**Yes, Fū- 11!**

**No! Keep it as is!- 11!**

**The vote is neck and neck and the poll will be closing when I post the next chapter of Memories Lost, Lingering Futures!**

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><p><strong>Added a new choice to the poll: Yes, Ayame. Please vote as well!<strong>

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><p><strong>Sorry it took so long to come out with this chapter! So please, read and review! If I screwed up on the story, please tell me. Also, play Mud and Blood 2! XD<strong>


	7. Second Test: Trust!, Splitting Paths

Memories Lost, Lingering Futures

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><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong>

**Yes, I am alive. I just haven't been able to get to a computer.**

**The story will be deemed a romance/adventure/hurt/comfort/spiritual due to the author's thoughts and ideals instilled into the story.**

**No, I am not dead. I am still very much alive people. I have just been very busy working on other things and reading peoples' fanfics. I have decided to come up with a story similar to this in the aspect of memories. And it will be a Bleach story. And it will be IchiRuki people. It was a plot bunny that's been nagging on me and soon developed into a separate author personality and right now Envoy of the Damned (Naruto fanfic author personality) is currently trying to keep control away from Messenger of the Eclipse (Bleach, mainly IchiRuki, fanfic author personality) so I can finish this chapter and then hopefully the whole story.**

**Votes for the recent poll, I've also added in a new choice:**

**Yes, Yugito - 10**

**Yes, Amaru - 5**

**Yes, Kurotsuchi - 3**

**Yes, Fū - 16!**

**Yes, Ayame- 0**

**No! Keep it as is! - 14!**

**I have decided to extend the poll by another chapter so that the voting will be fair for the new choice. I'm also not revealing how I put this second girl (if the vote goes through) into the main pairing. I may use the second female character for nothing more than drama. I also may only use the character to try and act as an antagonist to Hitomi, but an overall protagonist, much like a rival. I will not do a Hinata vote due to the fact there are already too many stories of those. Read those if you want Hinata and Naruto action okay?**

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><p><strong>Author's Rants:<strong>

**I can't listen to Change by Miwa online anymore! Damn you Sony!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Baten Kaitos, Final Fantasy VII or any other characters in this fanfiction except for Hikari and Soren. **

**Author's Notes:**

**Sasuke is the dark propagandistic anti-hero/hero.**

**In canon, Orochimaru trained Sasuke, yes. But, we don't know what he did in his spare time. So, I'm filling it in.**

**This will be an AU due to the fact, well; you'll just have to read to find out.**

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><p><strong>Three Years arc: Episode IV<strong>

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><p><strong>Second Test: Trust! And The Splitting Paths<strong>

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><p><em>'The past, present and future of this world<br>__Are lost forever  
><em>_A new future awaits the world  
><em>_Knowledge once lost  
><em>_Is gleamed once more  
><em>_And a new story is written'_

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><p>"So who are you anyway?" Jiraiya asked the young kunoichi sitting across the campfire from him.<p>

"My name," the bluenette (blue haired) woman paused as she stared into the fire and contemplated what had just happened. It all seemed as a blur to her, the last two days. Two days ago, she was a jonin squad commander working underneath Orochimaru and a kunoichi of the Hidden Sound. A day and a half ago, she lost her whole kunoichi career in the blink of an eye, literally. Not but an hour ago, she awoke to a warm blanket and tent.

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><p>"<em>Where am I?" Kuwara asked herself as she held her head. This headache she had was a pure bitch and made all of her previous hangovers look like a flick to the forehead<em>

_She wouldn't say that if Tsunade had flicked her on the forehead, then that analogy would be the other way around._

_The former Sound kunoichi looked around herself and realized that she was inside of a tent, and that is was almost nightfall, if the little bit of light glaring in through the tent meant anything. Kuwara frowned to herself and wondered when she and her squad had set up camp and how long she was asleep. Last time she felt this bad was when she and Keitaro got into a drinking contest. Her head continued to pound relentlessly until her mind recovered a shred of information._

_Keitaro was already dead._

_That one bit of information unraveled the rest of the cloudy fog that lingered within the former Sound kunoichi's mind._

_Had she been a kunoichi of any other country, scratch that, of the Hidden Leaf, she would have mourned her comrades' deaths. But she didn't. Because in the ninja world, of all the countries, other that the Hidden Leaf, camaraderie was a scarce thing to come across and a fragile thing indeed. In other countries, you would not only be suspicious of the stranger walking by you, you would also be wary of your friend standing right beside you. In the ninja world it wasn't as cut-and-dry as people believed it to be. You were betrayed on a daily basis and you had to come to rely on yourself. There were leaders of ninjas only because they were the strongest for now. The hierarchy could change at any time and the shit could then hit the fan._

_Five years of working for the Hidden Sound had pretty much killed nearly all the emotion within Kuwara. Well, maybe not fear. The purple haired kunoichi scowled to herself as she remembered how she and her squad were easily wiped out. She would have counted herself lucky, if not for the fact that she knew what happens to captured ninja, especially kunoichis. Her scowl deepened as she poked her head out of the tent and realized that she was alone in a clearing in a forest. _

_Her current location was actually the Fire Country, about fifty kilometers west of the border between the Land of Iron and the Land of Fire. The clearing itself was only about fifty meters in width, with some light breaking through the canopy of the trees. A path of dirt seemed to lead into the clearing. Kuwara strained her ears and heard the running of water and deduced that a stream or river was nearby. The blue-haired kunoichi quickly analyzed her surroundings and found a nearby fire in the middle of the clearing with some fish roasting nearby on sticks surrounded by three logs for sitting with a tent nearby with some clothes hanging from the branches obviously drying._

_She then felt a deep rumbling in the pit of her stomach and realized that she had not eaten since the day before her botched up mission. Pulling her head back in and realizing she was in a wrapped in a dark purple robe, the former Sound kunoichi looked around the tent she was currently in. Her search didn't last long when she spotted her clothes folded neatly near the sleeping she was sleeping on._

_A minute later and the blue-haired kunoichi emerged from her tent. She was somewhat pissed with the fact that her kunai pouch and shuriken pouch were both missing. Kuwara reasoned though that her captives didn't want her armed in the highly likely case she tried to fight back._

_In any case, the blue-haired kunoichi approached the fire and took a seat on one of the three logs placed around the fire. She hesitantly reached for one of the fish and sighed in relief when she found the food wasn't booby-trapped. The kunoichi sighed happily when she bit into the food and found some of her strength returning to her._

_She heard some movement coming from the dirt path nearly half an hour later and jumped and raced to her tent. From within her tent, she heard two voices, one was clearly older and experienced while the other was younger and exuded charisma and confidence._

"_So how was that training Pervy-Sage?" the younger voice laughed. Kuwara herself snorted as she heard that title given to the other older person._

"_Damnit brat," the older voice complained, "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"_

"_I'll keep calling you Pervy-Sage until you stop being a pervert." Kuwara could imagine the deadpan expression on the younger male. She was actually grateful, somewhat, that someone stood up for women against perverts. She only wished there were more of that person around._

"_I'm not a pervert, I'm... a SUPER PERVERT!" the older man shouted in an exuberant, childish tone._

"_Yeah, yeah, whatever you say gramps," the younger voice said. "Let's just sit down and eat, I'm bushed after all that training!"_

_Kuwara, still having the same curiosity as when she was a child, poked her head out of her tent by only a centimeter to see whom the voices belonged to. Her eyes widened when she saw whom one of the voices belonged to. It was Jiraiya of the Legendary Three Ninjas of the Hidden Leaf Village! If he was traveling, and if what Orochimaru had told her squad was true, that meant the Nine-Tailed Fox's jinchūriki was traveling with him too! Kuwara's eyes darted to the left, falling upon the back of the second figure. The only thing she could make out was the mop of blonde hair that spiked out in nearly every direction._

'_That's an odd color,' Kuwara thought to herself. She was one to talk. It seemed odd to a blue-haired girl to see someone with blonde hair. In their world, that would appear to be normal. In our world, it would be the other way around._

"_Well, I'm off to hit the sack Old Man!" the blonde haired boy exclaimed as he jumped up from his log and made his way to a depression in the grass his shape with his arms behind his head._

_Kuwara blushed when she saw the face of the jinchūriki and realized it looked exactly like one of her idols, Minato Namikaze. The stunning blue eyes and blonde hair almost made him look like an exact clone of the former Hokage. But this face seemed younger than the Fourth's and had more of a cute look to it. That didn't mean he wasn't a looker for his age. She presumed his was 11 or at least 12, and could tell that when he grew up, he would be quite the lady-killer. She believed this only because she had heard rumors that Minato used to look like a pretty boy when he was younger and yet he turned out to be one of the most idolized men of all time._

_"Crap, I forgot to check on our friend," the jinchūriki stated before turning towards Kuwara's tent and heading to the kunoichi's tent._

_Kuwara's head darted back into the tent as she frantically tried to wiggle out of her clothes and fold them back up and pull back on the purple robe. She knew that if he found anything out of place, there might have been consequences for her._

_For her, that would have been the case if any ninja other than Naruto Uzumaki checked on her._

_As soon as Kuwara had placed herself back into her sleeping bag, Naruto had poked his head in through the tent and peered at the guest 'sleeping' in the tent. The boy sighed softly as he pulled his head from the tent and retreated to his grandfather's to grab a bowl of water and a small washcloth before returning to the bluenette's tent. The young boy knelt down beside the girl only a few years older than him, and did a one over on her with his eyes before placing his hand on her forehead to check her temperature. If Kuwara were asleep, her temperature would have stayed the same, but due to her being awake, her temperature soared when Naruto's warm hand touched her forehead._

_"You weren't like this before," Naruto muttered to himself, completely oblivious to the blush that had settled on the ex-Oto kunoichi's checks. He shrugged to himself before dipping the washcloth in the water and wringing it until it was modestly damp and placed it upon the girl's forehead. Little by little, Kuwara's temperature decreased before it became normal._

_"There. All better now," Naruto said before picking his self up and exiting the tent with the bowl. "I'm going to bed Old Man!" Naruto shouted from over his shoulder before entering his grandfather's tent to set down the bowl and towel. He then exited the tent and set himself down on a patch of grass and stared at the sky before falling asleep nearly half an hour later._

_Kuwara held her breathe as she waited for the other person who she knew was the Toad Sage, Jiraiya. She knew that whoever was here with Jiraiya was the reason why she was still alive. Why did someone even let her live, an Oto kunoichi, or an ex-Oto kunoichi now, when the common rule of the Ninja World was to kill any enemy ninjas and take no prisoners?_

_"I know you're awake," a deep, baritone called out through the night, breaking Kuwara from her thoughts. She stifled a gasp as realized who it was._

_"Look, I know you're awake, hell I could tell you were awake when we were about a kilometer away. How? I could tell because your chakra flared for a moment and then went suppressed."_

_Then how come-_

_"Naruto didn't realize it because he sucks at detecting and reading chakra." A pause then came in as Jiraiya allowed the ex-Oto kunoichi to contemplate what he told her. So the blonde's name was Naruto? It was a funny name in her opinion. But then again, now that she thought about it, he was a serious opponent when she saw him fighting against the Toad Sage, even if said Legendary Ninja was holding back. No way in the Elemental Nations was she going to call that kid 'fishcake'._

_"Are you gonna come out here and introduce yourself or do I have to pull you out of there and set you down on this log?" he asked in a calm, serious tone that did not match his previous attitude when he was conversing with Naruto._

_Needless to say Kuwara complied, though not before getting in the last word._

_"I'm not even dressed you old pervert!"_

_Jiraiya guffawed as Naruto turned over on his side with a smile on his face, his subconscious realizing that some had pegged his grandfather as a pervert._

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><p>That was how Kuwara Yumita found herself sitting in front of Jiraiya, Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, and the Toad Summoner of the Legendary Three Ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village.<p>

"My name is Kuwara, Kuwara Yumita. Former jonin kunoichi of the Hidden Sound Village," Kuwara muttered as she hugged her legs to her body and rested her chin on her knees, staring at the burning flame before her and Jiraiya.

"And your mission was?" Jiraiya asked, wondering what the young kunoichi's objective was. The blue haired let a shuddering breathe release from her lips as she remembered what she was told to do, and the eerie yellow eyes that seemed to haunt her.

"Our mission," she swallowed hard, trying to get the lump that was beginning to form in her throat, "Our mission was to locate and eliminate one a pair of travellers who would be departing from the Hidden Leaf Village in the early morning. We were given no details about either travel. We did as told and prosecuted the mission. He told us we would be rewarded greatly if we succeeded." A hollow laugh found its way out from between the betrayed kunoichi's lips. "Though now that I think about, the mission we were sent on was more of a suicide mission."

"So Orochimaru planned to test Naruto's abilities and strengths with some mid-level grunts, eh?" Jiraiya mumbled thoughtfully, not even realizing he was insulting the kunoichi in front of him. Or so Jiraiya led the kunoichi to believe.

The bluenette took the bait and scoffed at the man before her. "I and my team of jonins were not some 'mid-level grunts'. We were the second strongest group after the Sound Four."

"So how in the Elemental Countries were you fouled by that transformed Exploding Clone? I would have thought your jonin training would have told you to not trust your surroundings. So how was it that you Oto jonins were so soundly defeated?" Jiraiya interrogated, already knowing the reasons, but wondering if Kuwara realized them as well.

"I didn't realized it because the residual chakra from the last of, was it your clone or Naruto's?" she asked and received a 'What are you stupid look?' Right, only a jinchūriki could make an explosion that big with a single Exploding clone... or a ninja with Kage-level reserves. But a Kage-level ninja would have a more focused and concentrated explosion instead of one that had nothing but pure power thrown into it. That explosion that had occurred on that fateful day had nothing but sinister chakra running through it.

"So the chakra from the blast muddled up your chakra sensing abilities, eh?"

Kuwara nodded slowly. "Yes. And because my chakra sensing abilities were muddled, I didn't know whether or not Keitaro was really himself or not," Kuwara mumbled as she sniffled and tried to get something out of her eye.

The Toad Sage hummed thoughtfully as he took in that particular piece of information. "So, why did you trust him so easily?" he questioned.

"Why not believe him? I believed him at the time," she answered too quickly.

"No I think it runs deeper than that. You had a relationship with that shinobi." The way he said shinobi sent shivers down Kuwara's spine.

"Don't call him that," she growled, barring her emotions on her face.

Jiraiya smirked at the green jonin in front of him. 'It's so easy to find that thing that makes people tick.'

"So you did, eh? You know that kind of trust can get you killed on the field."

"So what?" she asked as she eyed him as if she were a cornered animal.

'Gotcha.'

"Are you not an Oto kunoichi, or used to be now? So why are you so emotional? Maybe it was because there was something between you and this shinobi-"

"Don't call him that! His name is Keitaro!" the bluenette hissed.

"-and it ran deeper than camaraderie? You probably cared for him more than you should. The question is though: why? I had thought that Orochimaru brainwashed all of his followers so they could be nothing but loyal cannon fodder. Oops! Did I say that aloud?" Jiraiya asked rhetorically with a sly grin on his face.

"Why are you doing this you bastard?" Kuwara hissed, venom dripping on every word that passed lips.

"Me? A bastard you say?" Jiraiya faked, placing a hand over his heart with a mock-hurt look on his face. "I'm not the person who tried to kill two people who were just walking down the road with more force than necessary."

"We didn't know who the second person was," the frustrated kunoichi ground out. "It was better to be safe than sorry."

"And look where that got you now," Jiraiya smirked pointing at her position.

Kuwara let a strangled scream leave her throat as she pulled at her hair, severely pissed at the man who was fucking with her head right now, though not loud enough to wake Naruto. After a minute of ranting and raving about the Toad Sage in her head, Kuwara had calmed down and let all the anger and frustration subside.

After another minute of staring at the fire and thinking things over, and tired of having the Toad Sage stare at her waiting for a reaction from the ex-Oto kunoichi, she opened her mouth and spoke. "Why am I still alive?"

"It's because of the same thing that landed you in this situation," Jiraiya commented off-handedly.

"Because of Naruto?" Kuwara asked curiously, cocking her head to the side and looking at the boy who was lying in the grass.

Jiraiya blinked owlishly at what she had just said. "Well there is that," he chuckled nervously. "But what I was talking about earlier: trust."

"But I don't even know either of you!" she said, astonishment written over her features. How in the Elemental Countries could you trust a stranger you've never met before, and an enemy at that?

"I know that," Jiraiya nodded. "Naruto does as well. But even still, the reason why he trusts you is because he doesn't want to see you get hurt."

"Bullshit," Kuwara spat. "You two already killed my comrades and Keitaro. Why the fuck should I trust you?"

"You shouldn't," the man replied. "By all rights you should be dead. But you didn't go along with your team like you should have. You can only blame yourself for living." Then Jiraiya made a face. "Then again, you can also blame Naruto."

"Why should I blame him? He did what all ninjas should do; he defended himself against his enemies."

"You should blame him because he brought you along with us. He did the one thing no ninja should ever do: he took a prisoner. He's already pushing it as is with having allowed Tayuya spared. With another prisoner, an ex-Oto ninja, and a kunoichi to boot, some of his superiors will be questioning whether or not Naruto is allowing his feelings to compromise him. He's currently staking his career as a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village and his right of freedom as the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox on his ninja way and his feelings. He's trying to topple the aspect of ninja life that states we are nothing but emotionless soldiers who must give their lives for the mission. Naruto prizes his bonds with his friends and comrades and the trust he places in others. Right now, he is staking his training mission on you."

"What do you mean?" the wide-eyed kunoichi asked as she took in all the information that was just thrown at her.

Sure, many a ninja wanted to change this world that they lived in, but all of them were either too weak and gave up, or died before they could realize their dreams, or just stopped because it was too daunting a task. She was one of those people, the person who just stopped because it was too daunting a task. She was that type of person because of Keitaro and the relationship they shared. Sure they both said they were friends with benefits and nothing more. But she knew both f their feelings ran deeper than that. And because of those feelings, she wanted to change this world so she could break away from the horrors and have a life with the man she loved. Now that dream was crushed, gone in the wind, quite literally actually in a cruel and ironic way.

"Naruto's position is a precarious one with him being the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails and also with questioning of him being compromised as I told you before. He's staking this whole thing, this training mission, which would last three years, on the fact that he can trust you, a former enemy. Now I know that might not mean anything to you or him," Jiraiya said, jerking his thumb at the sleeping Naruto who rolled over once more, "But to the people in the upper echelons of the world that means a lot. That means you are both unfit to be ninjas because if you do trust each other and get betrayed you are not meant to be a ninja because they must never truly trust anyone and not feel emotions. That means that if you try to kill either of us and die, Naruto's actions and trust in others will be questioned and he will be stripped of his rank. I know you know this because Orochimaru forbids trust among his subordinates, or so I thought.

"He is entrusting you with his future. His future and his dream are to stop the world we live right now and topple the rules that dictate this world," Jiraiya paused once more for dramatic effect, letting the info sink in more.

"Now, the question is though: will you be able to trust the person who forced you into this position, killed your comrades and Keitaro? Not only that, will you be able to protect Naruto's trust in you, his life, career and dreams we entrust in you? I've already asked Naruto whether or not he understands the consequences either way, and he says he does, and he trusts you to make the right decision for not only him, but for yourself." The ball had now left Jiraiya's side of the court and entered Kuwara's. The question was; would she be able to be trusted and trust those who held her fate?

The two sat there in silence as Kuwara mulled over the information thrown at her once more and Jiraiya watched, gauging her.

Of all the reasons and options that ran through her head, one stood out among the rest. 'What would Keitaro do in a situation like this?'

Keitaro was idealist, but one who suppressed his emotions and ideals because he feared what would happen to those who got involved. Not once did he truly like what he did, nor was he ever proud of his actions. He believed he was less than scum for the atrocities he had committed and believed he was weak because he never voiced his opinion against such things. He also told her that this world revolved around hate, pain, loss, and war. And that the only way to stop the world they lived in was to stop that cycle that governed their world. Trust, love, friendship were the keys to stopping further bloodshed. He was such an idealist, a person just like her. That's why they found solace in one another.

She wasn't going to screw this up. She would help this boy stop the madness that had claimed Keitaro's life, but everyone else's as well.

"You can trust me," Kuwara stated with vehement determination. "I know don't trust me, and that I shouldn't trust you. But Keitaro told me if I wanted to stop all that I had to learn to trust other, even if they are my enemies."

"Why do you trust the boy who killed the man who was close to you?" Jiraiya asked with an upraised eyebrow.

Kuwara shook her head as she looked at the sleeping boy. "I don't blame Naruto," she spoke softly. "From what you told me, Naruto is a kind gentle soul who, once he became a ninja, had his resolve strengthen."

"How can you tell that?" the Toad Sage asked curiously.

"Because of the rumors and tales of Naruto's feats are known the world over. We heard rumors from as far as Snow Country of his daring feats and his defiance against the ways of the world. The rumors and tales told of a boy who had an indomitable will that defied all odds. From info that one of our spies gathered from the Hidden Leaf Village, Naruto was nothing but a loud, brash child who only wanted to become a ninja so he could become Hokage and command everyone's respect. But then we heard that his priorities changed and now he wanted to be a ninja who would stop this world we live in, and carry on the legacy that the other Hokages had fought for and died believing in.

"We believed that just because of the rumors were just that, we thought that Naruto was some brash brat who was trying to defy everything that the world threw at him and that he only barely made it because of the Uchiha," Kuwara sighed a swept a stray bang out of her face and tucked it behind her left ear. In the background, Naruto rolled over once more, lying spread eagle in the grass, dreaming dreams of Ramen, being Hokage, marrying Hitomi and fulfilling his dream of peace.

"I don't blame Naruto because I don't believe he killed Keitaro. Keitaro died at the hands of this treacherous world. He was like Naruto, but he gave up when he realized he couldn't shoulder the challenge of changing this world. Kei and I would still be together if it weren't for this cruel world we lived in, not because of Naruto," by now Kuwara had tears streaming down her eyes. "I became a ninja just like Naruto because I wanted to be strong and help others. I didn't realize until it was too late that that wasn't how the world worked. I killed off my heart and emotions and tried my best to become the idealized kunoichi. But then Kei came into my world and flipped it on its side. Now Naruto came along and flipped it on its side again now I'm on the ceiling. If Naruto didn't kill Kei, then someone else would have. It wouldn't have mattered either way, but because I crossed paths with Naruto, and he not only spared me, but placed his whole future in my hands, I can help become part of something greater than myself and Kei. I know Kei won't be beside me, but I can at least make sure that if I help Naruto out, that others who are in the same situation as Kei and I won't lose each other."

"Doesn't some part of you want to take revenge though?" Jiraiya asked, quite surprised with this young woman. Seemed Naruto leaked his Will of Fire onto others even when he was asleep. Such determination burned in her eyes.

"Part of me wants to, yes. But I won't let that drag me down. If I do, I'll have succumbed to the way of the world again. Revenge is one of things that perpetuate this world, and I won't add any more fuel to the fire." She sighed and drew herself a little closer to the fire to warm herself. "I won't betray your trust because I'm not going to let someone who not only shares my and Kei's dream, but also has the power and drive to fulfill, fail. I won't be the reason behind the end of his dream."

'Pass.' Jiraiya had finally made the last test pass through. Sure, shook the girl up a bit by fucking with her head, but in the end, she chose the path that Naruto knew she would. 'And there goes another month I have to foot the bill. Gah!' Jiraiya mentally groaned. 'I should have remembered that betting against that brat was a stupid idea. If it had been any other person we'd all be on a one-way trip back to the Hidden Leaf. Damn luck brat got me again!'

"I'm glad you accepted," Jiraiya smiled genuinely. "Your fate is now intertwined with his, along with Tayuya's because of what you just accepted. You know what you got yourself into, right?" Kuwara nodded at the older man. "Because of your decision to not only trust us, but also to honor Naruto's trust in you, you'll be in this whole thing with us for the long haul. Do you still want to do this?"

"Yes," Kuwara stated with an air of finality.

"Well then, you might want to get some sleep. We'll be traveling for a long time the moment dawn hits."

The bluenette nodded once to the older man and bowed to him after she had stood up. The ex-Oto kunoichi walked calmly over to where Naruto and knelt down beside him and held her head above his. Her eyes absorbed every detail of his face from his yellow spikey hair, to his whisker like birthmarks, and his cute nose. Kuwara giggled to herself as she looked Naruto over. She would have loved to have had a brother this cute if she had a normal life. Then she remembered that if Naruto succeeded, both of them could have a normal life. Even if Kei wasn't beside her, she saw so much of him in this young boy. She just hoped to the heavens that her trust in both of them, especially in Naruto, wouldn't become misplaced.

"Thank you, Naruto," she whispered into Naruto's ear. "Thank you for trusting me. Please, don't misplace my trust, okay? And also, I don't blame you for Kei's death. So please, don't let it burden you, alright? I hope your dream comes true," Kuwara murmured. She smiled softly as she saw a smile begin to creep along his sleeping face. The bluenette smiled as she placed a kiss upon his forehead then on his right cheek.

"Take this world by storm Naruto," she whispered into his ear. Jiraiya had watched her the entire time wondering what she was doing, but when he heard those first few words leave her lips, he allowed her to say her peace. The former Oto kunoichi stood up and bowed to the blonde's sleeping form before turning and bowing to the Toad Sage.

"I will do my best to help you both Master Jiraiya," she stated before heading to her tent.

* * *

><p>Nearly eight hours later, a yawn escaped from the lips of one Naruto Uzumaki as he felt the first rays of the sun hit upon his face and smelt a fine cooked meal not far from him. Pulling himself up into a sitting position, the blonde smacked his lips as his eyes still heavy with sleep scanned the clearing they had made camp in and soon landed on a figure sitting by the small fire in the middle doing something. Soon the sleep left his eyes as he gazed upon the back of the blue haired kunoichi in front of the fire.<p>

Kuwara, who had been sitting by the fire cooking some eggs and fish, felt someone's eyes boring into her and turned around to see the sitting form of Naruto staring at her.

"Ah! Naruto you're up! I was hoping to surprise you and Master Jiraiya with a meal." Her eyes wandered back to the food that was sizzling by the fire. "But it looks like that isn't going to happen."

All she received was an owlish blink from Naruto.

"Err… I'm sorry if I offended you in any way?"

"It's not that, it's just weird to see someone who was my enemy about two days ago cooking breakfast for me and my teacher," Naruto explained. Kuwara was tempted to say a snarky remark, but chose otherwise.

"It's the least I could do for you and Master Jiraiya. After all, you did spare my life and place your trust in me," Kuwara mumbled with a small pink tint in her cheeks.

The blonde genin grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. "It was nothing. I don't want to be enemies with others forever and I thought that it would be best to spare another innocent life."

"How am I innocent? I tried to kill you," the bluenette replied.

Naruto grinned and shook his head. "You're innocent because you are a pawn of this world, just like I am. This world governs all and does its bidding through those of us who fall prey to its trap." The blonde shook his head once more as he stared into the sky. "People only become enemies because they cannot let go of their grief or they are pitted against each other by the world. I'm going to find a way to stop this world and free everyone."

'Including the bijū,' he added.

* * *

><p>Within the seal on Naruto's navel, Makoto, the Nine-Tailed Fox stirred slightly and opened one of its eyes to gaze out into the darkness that surrounded her cell, sensing something. Soon enough, she felt a calming feeling wash over her. The bijū stared out into the seal and soon fell asleep again.<p>

'Us as well huh?' Makoto thought before she succumbed to sleep. This time though, her dreams didn't feel so turbulent.

* * *

><p>Kuwara stared in wonder at the blonde before realizing she was blushing a bit and turned back to cooking the food. Luckily it hadn't burnt… too much.<p>

After a few minutes of silence between Naruto staring into the sky with a small smile on his face and Kuwara blushing slightly as she cooked, the blonde shook his head once more before heading over to the fire to sit next to the bluenette.

Kuwara turned to see Naruto sitting next to her and smiled at the blonde. "The food will be done in a bit Naruto," she said, giggling to herself when she saw the blonde pout at being told the food wasn't done.

"Thank you for cooking for us uh," the blonde stopped for a second and looked sheepish. "What's your name?"

The bluenette smiled at Naruto as she went over to her pack and pulled out three plates before evenly distributing the food between the three plates. "My name is Kuwara Yumita," she introduced herself as she handed Naruto his plate. "It is an honor to have met a person such as you Naruto. Please take care of me," she said bowing to Naruto.

"You can count on me!" Naruto said as a grin found its way onto both Kuwara's and the blonde's faces.

* * *

><p>Nearly thirty minutes later, Jiraiya emerged from his tent to see both Naruto and the former Oto kunoichi laughing and joking with one another and playfully poking each other.<p>

"Did you really paint the Hokage Monument in broad daylight and not get caught?" Kuwara laughed.

"Of course!" Naruto stated triumphantly. "Did they really think they could catch the future sixth Hokage so easily? Even the ANBU could not stop me! A future Hokage must always be able to outrun and outsmart his future subordinates!"

Kuwara laughed excitedly as she clapped at Naruto, egging him on to tell more exciting stories of his youth. Soon anther story left Naruto's lips as he recited the tale about the time he had blown Jiraiya's cover when he was peeking on the women in that one bath house. The bluenette didn't know whether or not to say he deserved that thrashing or to laugh at the fact he got thrashed. She decided to do the latter of the two and burst out laughing at the fact that the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku was beaten to a bloody pulp by women in bath robes armed with rolling pins, pans, pitchforks, bats and kunai.

"I still haven't forgiven you for that," the Toad Sage grumbled from his spot in front of his tent.

"You deserved it Pervy-Sage," Naruto laughed as Kuwara joined him at laughing at the white haired sage. Jiraiya just pouted and sulked as he took it from his apprentice/godson/grandson and the ex-Oto kunoichi.

After fifteen minutes of that Jiraiya decided to cut this fun for now. "Naruto, Kuwara, we need to hit the road soon so we can make it to the Land of Lightning within the week." Kuwara and Naruto both nodded in a serious matter, the laughter and mirth already out of them and headed to pack their belongings. Soon, the fire was dead, the logs they used scattered about, their tracks gone, their tents stored away in scrolls, all belonging packed away, weapons accounted and all scent of them erased from the area thanks to one of Jiraiya's fire jutsu killing all the oxygen and scent that remained in the clearing.

The white haired member of the Legendary Three Ninjas of the Village Hidden in the leaves turned to his two travelling companions and said, "Ready?"

"You bet your ass Old Man," Naruto smirked.

"What do you think?" the bluenette asked with a smirk and raised eyebrow.

"Brats," Jiraiya muttered. "All right let's get this show on the road!"

They were nothing but shadows jumping through the trees with seconds of Jiraiya's command.

* * *

><p><em>To the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade Senju,<em>

_It's Jiraiya, I want to inform you that Naruto and I had a run-in about an hour after we left the gate and now have one extra tagging along by the name of Kuwara Yumita. I know what you're thinking, what the hell is Naruto doing helping out another enemy? I don't have the answer for that at all, but I can only say that he truly inherited Minato and Kushina's will because he, just like both of them, would never kill an enemy unless in battle. Word will probably reach the Leaf about what Naruto pulled, so I want you to deal with it while I iron out the kinks over here._

_I also want to inform that Naruto has three identified affinities: Wind, Water and Earth. All three are incredibly strong. His Wind is off the charts due to the fact that he can control and communicate with the very air around him. His Water is almost at the level rivaling your great-uncle's, with him using the Water Celestial Beast Summoning: Heavenly Azure-Dragon Jutsu and pulling water right out of the air. I'm not saying his chakra control is great, which it isn't, I'm saying that his affinity is powerful, and with enough control, could probably be better than the Second Hokage. Now, while his Earth affinity is powerful, this next part is the kicker. Naruto can use the Wood Release, to a certain degree. Naruto can command the plant life around him and communicate with it like he can with the air. I'll need you to send some of your grandfather's scrolls on the Wood Release so I can see for sure._

_I know what this means Tsunade, Naruto has to be a descendant of the Senju. I know Tsunade, and no there were no others. No, Naruto was not our son, he's our grandson. Yes, _he_ was our son. I'll tell you when Naruto, Kuwara and I return, so save your questions (and righteous fury) for then. I want you to discuss Naruto's heritage through his mother and father. I'm saying this now so that you won't have the Leaf coming down around you demanding why the last of those two lines were kept from them. I have faith in you to bash them back._

_Now, here's the best part._

_I originally planned for our trip to be from the Land of Fire to a few of our friendly neighbor countries and neutral countries. That's not going to happen though. Naruto told me he plans to travel to each of the other Great Elemental Nations and, get this, head to the Cloud Village, Waterfall Village, Mist Village, Sand Village, and Rock Village and convince the leaders of the threat of the Akatsuki. Yeah, I know, I had to do a double take too. He also says he knows where all the other eight jinchūriki are and plans to convince their respective leaders to travel with us. I know; this just screams take me now to Akatsuki. Naruto assures me though that he has this all planned out. Because of that, I want you to send a message to those countries' leaders telling them that two diplomats from the Hidden Leaf Village will be arriving, within the space of three years, to discuss the impending threat of the Akatsuki. This is a heavy gamble Naruto is playing, and even with his great luck, I have doubts we'll all get out of this unscathed._

_A lot of shit is going to go down Tsunade. We better be ready. And I bet Naruto and Hitomi are going to be at the epicenter of all this. I have no doubt that in our travels Naruto is going to make a name for his self. I told you all this to prepare you for the fallout that will likely follow Naruto gaining his fame and notoriety, and the rumors that will follow questioning Naruto's past. I want you to clear that stuff up in the Leaf. I know that doing so will send out waves of information, but I would rather have that happen then it all blow up in our faces._

_The world's fate is changing Tsunade. When I asked the Great Toad Elder about the future, he told me that the winds were shifting, and all that should have come will forever change. Tsunade, things are going to change. And like I said before, I know Naruto will be at the epicenter._

_Well, keep the porch light on for us, keep the house clean and don't forget to take out the trash. We'll keep in touch._

_Jiraiya_

* * *

><p>"Only that brat can cause this much of a headache," Tsunade muttered as she rubbed her temples after having read the letter that one of Jiraiya's toad summons give her. "Shizune!" the blonde Hokage shouted calling for her assistant.<p>

"Yes Lady Tsunade!" the raven haired woman said as she burst into the Fifth Hokage's office, her pet pig Ton-Ton by her feet.

"Gather the clan heads, jonin commander, ANBU commander, the Village Elders, Sakura Haruno, Hitomi Harusuki, Anko Mitarashi, Kakashi Hatake, Yūgao Uzuki, Team 8 consisting of Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, Hinata Hyūga and Team 8 sensei Kurenai Yūhi, Team 10 consisting of Shikamaru Nara, Chōji Akimichi, Ino Yamanaka, and Team 10 sensei Asuma Sarutobi, and Team Guy consisting of Rock Lee, Neji Hyūga, Tenten, and Team Guy sensei Might Guy. A meeting will be scheduled at 1330 hours in the Hokage Tower meeting hall to discuss the career of Naruto Uzumaki."

"Is something wrong my Lady?" Shizune asked worried that something bad was going to happen to her surrogate brother.

"Not yet if I don't stop the shit from hitting the fan," Tsunade snarled as she grabbed the letter on her desk, strode over to Shizune and handed her it. The raven haired medic-nin's eyes widened before she looked at her master to see her lips set in a grim line.

"We need to move fast." With that, both Tsunade and Shizune, accompanied by several ANBU members, headed out to find those who were needed for the meeting.

* * *

><p>"No way," Sasuke muttered after having read the preface. If the Uchiha had not always been such a stoic person since his family's massacre, he would have been beyond happy to know that he had at least two know relatives, albeit distant relatives at that, but relatives nonetheless, alive and well; one of which was his brother in all but blood (though he would never admit that to himself or anyone else for that matter)rival/best friend and the Fifth Hokage Tsunade Senju.

"Yes way Sasuke," the pale Snake Summoner chuckled.

'So Naruto has as much sway as I do if he cared. Not only that, but he's closely related to the First, Second and Fifth Hokages. He's not so much of a loser after all.' The youngest Uchiha smirked. 'That just means he's got more to live up to. That just means that I also have a lot to live up to too if I want any chance of beating him and Itachi.'

"So if Naruto's family was so important," Sasuke started as he stared down the pale man in front of him, "then why was his life lived in such low standards? Why didn't he live like I did?"

"Do you really want to know Sasuke?" Orochimaru said as his smirk turned into a vicious grin.

"Yes." The statement was short and simple, yet the voice it was carried on held a powerful and adamant conviction.

"Very well then Sasuke." The grin didn't leave his face. "Naruto of the Uzumaki clan is the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox, since the day he was born." Seeing the deer caught in the headlights look on Sasuke's face caused him to chuckle. "Not only that, but he is the third jinchūriki for the bijū, the second being Kushina Uzumaki, his mother, and the first being Mito Uzumaki."

"Mito Uzumaki was a jinchūriki?" Sasuke asked his eyes slightly wide. "The wife of the First Hokage was a jinchūriki? And so was Naruto's mother? But wait, I thought it said that jinchūrikis had to have close ties to the Kages. And since you said that the second jinchūriki was Naruto's mother, and they both had to have ties with a Kage, that means…"

The revelation hit him like a ton of bricks. The Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze was said to always hang around a woman who some identified as Kushina Uzumaki, whom he learned was the friend of his mother before she married his father, and since the Fourth sealed the Nine-Tailed Fox in Naruto that meant the blonde was the son of the Yellow Flash!

"Naruto is the son of the Fourth Hokage," he whispered. He looked at the man in front of him. "How long have you known Orochimaru?"

The Snake Summoner of the Legendary Three Ninjas smirked at his apprentice. "I learned only a month ago. I found this book in the hands of a traveling merchant I had come across in Grass. I in truth thought that the book was pure drivel until I perused the preface as you recently have."

"So the only reason why Naruto was always living in such atrocious conditions was because of the villagers' irrational fear for the Nine-Tailed Fox and their ignorance in the ways of sealing? Pathetic. I'm kind of glad I left that pathetic village."

"Indeed Sasuke." Soon Kabuto walked into the library.

"My Lord Orochimaru, I have recent news."

"Speak Kabuto."

"Yes My Lord," the silver haired medic-nin bowed. "The squad of jonin ninjas sent to dispatch Jiraiya and Naruto Uzumaki has failed my Lord. Furthermore, it appears Naruto Uzumaki knows the Water Celestial Beast Summoning: Heavenly Azure-Dragon Jutsu."

Orochimaru's eyes widened when he heard about the Celestial Beast Summoning. Those were only spoken of in legends and said to be reserved for only Royalty and those who had fought at the dawn of time with the Four Celestial Beasts against a great demon.

"We've also learned that Sakura Haruno of the former Team 7 under the leadership of Kakashi Hatake has been taken in to be the apprentice of the Fifth Hokage Tsunade Senju."

Now a deviant smirk replaced the previous one on Orochimaru's face. "It seems that the new Legendary Three Ninjas will come about." Seeing the raised eyebrow from Sasuke, he explained. "All three of us, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and I, have chosen an apprentice much like we were when we were young. Not only that, but you, as well as Naruto, have signed your masters Summoning Contract, and I bet Tsunade will not be far behind." A truly amused laugh escaped his lips surprising both his second in command, and his apprentice. "This world truly is changing. It's decided."

"What is?" Sasuke asked, slightly worried that something bad was going to go down. Well, something worse than the situation he was already in.

"I have decided to not make you my next vessel Sasuke." Both Sasuke and Kabuto's eyes widened to epic proportions as they both openly gaped at the man. "Surprised?" he snorted. "Don't be. I have a feeling that I won't be hanging around forever and that something is going to take me out no matter how hard I try. Don't think for a second I'm acting weak. I've just decided on a different approach to immortality, one that I believe is fool-proof." He chuckled once more. "Maybe sensei was right."

"And that is?" Sasuke asked.

"Why, I believe I will pass my dreams and ambitions on to you Sasuke. Instead of being the vessel for my soul, you shall become the vessel for my will. And, you shall inherit my role as Otokage when I pass."

The Uchiha and medic-nin just stared at him like he had grown a second head.

Through this all, Kabuto was seeing bits and pieces of the Orochimaru he had met long ago. He had been wondering whether or not his master had been losing it, but realized that the way he laughed gave it away. The old Orochimaru used to laugh like that, before everything went downhill. He just wondered if something was going on to warrant all this change in the world. He also wondered how long Orochimaru would remain, well, sane as he was before that time.

Sasuke's mind was muddled about the whole affair. So he would be able to keep his soul after all. There goes the plan of killing him off when that occurred. Well, maybe not. He'd probably have it as a backup plan the very likely case Orochimaru went back on his word. To be the Second Otokage, Sasuke knew well right then and there that he had one-upped the blonde Uzumaki by becoming the successor of a Kage. Though he had to reason with himself that, given the chance, if Tsunade wanted to and Naruto were legible, he would be the successor for the Fifth Hokage. Not only that, Sasuke was going to carry on Orochimaru's dream and ambition of learning the whole world's jutsus. That was a heavy ambition to shoulder, he mused. Then again, when Naruto told Sasuke of his sensei's dream of uniting the world and having true peace reign and how he would do the same, Sasuke knew that his ambition looked insignificant compared to his.

"As such; Sasuke, meet me in my throne room a week from now at 1430 hours. I have much to discuss if I'm going to pass my mantle to you." With that, the pale skinned man left the library.

Sasuke and Kabuto gave each other a look wondering what had happened to his original desire of taking the former's body. The raven haired genin opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped when Kabuto put his hand up.

"I'll tell you later about Lord Orochimaru." And with that, Sasuke was left in library alone to his own thoughts.

* * *

><p>'You will not stop me! I will rule this pathetic world and have you bowing before me in reverence!'<p>

'I will never do such a thing! The Will of Fire will never be extinguished so long as I breathe! I will never let you destroy the world my sensei idealized!'

'We shall see about that Orochimaru!'

And soon the battle of will commenced one more.

* * *

><p>"You said that the Nine-Tails jinchūriki knows what?" Pain asked.<p>

"He knows a jutsu called the Water Celestial Beast Summoning: Heavenly Azure-Dragon Jutsu," replied the silhouette of Zetsu. "He also has a Water Affinity that rivals that of the Second Hokage."

"So what if the fucking Nine-Tails jinchūriki knows some shitty ass jutsu and has such fucking fantastic control over water, he's nothing before the might of Lord Jashin!"

"That jutsu should have us all worried," replied the leader's silhouette. "That jutsu is in truth a powerful avatar jutsu that allows the Celestial Beast to walk amongst us."

"And this still means nothing to a disciple of Lord Jashin!"

"Quiet you fool before I kill you," the silhouette beside the loud and brash one admonished.

"Before the bijū existed, there was a beast known as the Jūbi that roamed the lands." This surprised all of those who had little to know idea about the Bijūs past, namely Kazuka, Hidan, Diedara, Sasori. "The Sage of Six Paths, the first wielder of the Rinnegan, along with four other normal humans with extraordinary powers and the Four Celestial Beasts fought and defeated the Ten-Tails, sealing the monster within the Sage of Six Paths. The Celestial Beasts granted to the four humans who had fought alongside the Sage of Six Paths the power to summon them after the Sage taught them the ways of chakra."

"And?" a rather impatient Hidan asked.

"The Celestial Beasts, in pairs of two, especially the Crimson Phoenix Suzuka and the Azure Dragon Seiryū, could go toe to toe with the Ten-Tails. They weren't enough only because they didn't have the near infinite energy that the Ten-Tails does." Everyone understood that right there. To go against something that had the equivalent of 45 tails, even if it was two against one, and go toe to toe with it meant that the user of such a jutsu was near unstoppable.

"To have someone be able to summon one of the Celestial Beasts," Pain continued, "and the Nine-Tails jinchūriki being the one no less, means that someone has preordained this and manipulated the world, someone more powerful than I."

Everyone's attention was caught when they heard their leader admit that someone more powerful than him was manipulating everything. But they didn't know what he meant.

"Please explain Lord Pain," the shadow to his right asked.

"In legend, the Azure Dragon is said to protect the East and also be its harbinger. This means that it brings about a dawn or a revolution. It is said that the Azure Dragon Seiryū was the cause of the alliance between man and summons, and helped the Sage of Six Paths bring about a new age in the world. To have that jutsu land in the hands of the Nine-Tails jinchūriki means that a new age will be sweeping through this land." The leader shook his head though and then turned and gazed upon all his upper echelon members.

"It does not matter either way, for the whole world shall know Pain!" the leader shouted as he spread his arms out. Pain then turned his head to look over his subordinates.

"Itachi, Kisame, I want you both to keep an eye on the Nine-Tails jinchūriki and Jiraiya-"

"I also forgot to mention that another person has joined those two," Zetsu interrupted.

"Speak now Zetsu," the leader glared down upon the Venus-flytrap man, his Rinnegan blazing.

"Sorry Lord Pain, I just was being polite in not interrupting you. As I was saying, a jonin by the name of Kuwara Yumita, one of the four strongest kunoichi in the Hidden Sound has joined the two. I have no information on her as of yet, so she is an unknown variable."

The Rinnegan wielder nodded once and then turned his gaze back to the Uchiha and the ex-swordsman. "Keep tabs on the jinchūriki and Jiraiya, but do not reveal yourself. As Zetsu said, we have an unknown variable. If you are compromised, I want you two to retreat and lay low." The two nodded once before Pain shifted his gaze to Hidan and Kazuka.

"Hidan, Kazuka, keep your heading and when you reach the Hidden Cloud lay low as well and keep light surveillance. Do not complain Hidan," he stopped the Jashinist acolyte from spewing anymore profanities from his lips. "You will move when I tell you and nothing more."

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><p>In an endless dark expanse with a near infinite number of small glittering dots stood a figure garbed in black. The figure's single, visible red eye gazed upon the planet that stood beneath his feet and shook his head before turning to look at a small board within his hand.<p>

"The pieces are falling into place and the pawns have taken up their positions. Now the knights and bishops shall move." To anyone hearing him, they would believe that he was talking about chess, or go board. In truth, the small board within his hand was a small map with numerous small dots, nearly over three million, moving slowly about. Above the board, several small floating displays showed different objectives, three of which were completed.

'I changed this world the moment I stepped into nearly a thousand years ago. It is my duty to set the stage for a new journey, one much grander than the last. I trust this world's fate to your will… Naruto!'

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><p><em>'The gears are shifting<br>__These paths shall crumble  
><em>_All you knew before shall change  
><em>_The fate of many lay in the hands of one  
><em>_As his fate lays in the hands of the many'_

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><p><strong>End of Chapter Seven of Memories Lost, Lingering Futures<strong>

**Three Years Arc: Episode III**

**Second Test: Trust! And The Splitting Paths**

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><p><strong>Playing now: Core Pride by UVERworld<strong>

**Next time on Naruto:**

"**I would like to call this meeting to order!"**

"**What do you mean kill me?"**

"**I don't know what you mean; Tayuya of the Sound was killed in the Sasuke Retrieval Mission. All I see in front of me is Hitomi Harusuki, citizen of the Hidden Leaf standing before me."**

"**Your first day of your three years in hell starts now."**

**Stayed tuned for Naruto: Memories Lost, Lingering Futures!**

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><p><strong>Authors notes:<strong>

**Not many, I won't reveal my plotline at all. So ha! You all know how I feel when I read one of your stories and get a fucking cliffhanger! How's payback?**

**Read and review please!**


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